Grim Prospects
by kdbug
Summary: I'm Ciel Phantomhive, a typical high school senior—with the inherited riches, constant death threats, and a demonic butler. As if having supernatural nut jobs after me isn't enough, now I've got to deal with my butler stalking me and a creepy teacher. AU
1. Chloroform? Please

_**Hey everyone! This is my first fic, Kuro or otherwise, so please take care of me! Character torture isn't really my thing, so don't worry because anything legitimately bad that happens to any of our favorite characters will eventually be made up for and then some.~ Critiques, comments, and reviews are greatly appreciated! I wont bite you too hard, feel free to contact me. Oh! Thank you to my lovely beta DemonVampire13~**_

_**Warnings for violence, language and suggestive themes.**_

_**{EDIT: DV13 just made some changes with her beta-y-ness. Annnnd I've decided that this is now a modern day AU, simply because Sebastian needs a sexy sleek car. Yumyum.~ Don't worry, Ciel's still the Queen's bitch and Sebby's still his butler therefore still wears sexy dress clothes in all of his sexy goodness. The only differences are that 1) Ciels older, 17 to be exact. 2) They live in a Townhouse instead of a mansion. 3) Bigger firepower. 4) Sebastian's got a bitchin' car. If you find any inconsistencies with the time warp in this chapter let me know.}**_

His finger twitches, curling questioningly around his bindings. His consciousness is coming to the surface, water coming to a boil. His ocean-blue eyes flutter open with panic, lashes tickling the smooth fabric blackening his vision. '_Not again,' _he thinks, '_why must this always happen to me?'_ He tenses, feeling the rough rock wall press against his back, a strap holding him firmly to the wall. His hands are pinched between his rear and the hostile wall as he leans forward, testing his bindings.

He can't gain much traction with his feet, impractical shoes combined with rough binding making things difficult. '_Ah, how did this happen?'_ He wonders in the back of his hazy mind, reeling through his last memories, a cinematic record of the living.

The steam of tea – Earl Gray, milk and honey – the feel of his comforter wrapped around his shoulders, the familiar scent of his pillow. Sebastian blowing out the candle as he stands by the door. Darkness. Darkness and the red tinted glow of Sebastian's eyes. One hell of a butler indeed. He better take responsibility for this mishap.

Something clicks in the boy, or young adult rather, as he recalls being rudely pulled out of sleep at a slight creek of his window. He remembers audibly cursing at Sebastian for leaving a window open in the middle of January. _"Are you daft? Do you want me ill?"_ he had exclaimed groggily, sitting up with intent to silence the offending pane of glass. A deep, unfamiliar chuckle erupted in reply. Before Ciel could focus, a weight pressed down on his torso and the harsh, unfortunately familiar, smell of chloroform assaulted him, beating him into blackness.

And here he was, sitting against an unforgiving rock wall. The room is freezing and Ciel doubts that the walls, assuming that they're all the same, are very well insulated. As if being cold, restrained, and blinded weren't enough to make him feel right at home, the hospitable temperature was making the metal bindings on his wrists and feet that much more enjoyable, the cold metal burning as it rubs his skin raw.

Oh, when he got out of here, there would be _hell_ to pay. Sebastian would be thoroughly punished for this.

He'd have to get out of here first though, which seems pretty impossible at the moment. The virtually endless string of profanities erupting in Ciel's mind would have had his parents rolling in their graves. Ciel sighs, knowing that however pleasurable yelling and cursing out his captors – his fate – would be, drawing attention from whoever put him in this predicament would definitely be unwanted. He had to take advantage of his time alone (he assumed he was alone, he hadn't heard anyone) to fiddle with his bindings and evaluate how to escape from them.

He starts with his wrists, feeling for the keyhole and allowing his fingers to press into the cold crevice, memorizing its shape. He pushes his elbows up, scraping them against the wall as he twists to reach into the waistband of his pants at his hip. Ciel pulls out a bobby-pin (When you live a life such as Ciel's you learn to keep strange things in strange places such as this.) and goes to work at picking the lock.

The click sounds through the room, ricocheting softly off the walls and Ciel pauses. He holds the cuffs in places, listening for any movements outside of his own. A minute passes and Ciel sets them quietly on the flood behind him, rubbing his wrists gingerly and exhaling a held breath.

He reaches up to remove the blindfold, the cloth proving to be a great irritant to Ciel. He feels no connection through his covenant for some reason, and having the contract covered brings more distress than it typically does. His arms are stopped a few mere centimeters away from his face, the restraint around his torso that pins him to the wall proving to be more of an issue than Ciel had anticipated.

He strains, digging his arms into the accursed strap and desperately clawing to reach the fabric over his eyes. He knows how close he is and it drives him mad knowing that he cannot cover the tiny distance between where his fingers stretch and the edge of the blindfold.

Against his better judgment, Ciel lets out a snarling "_Fuck_!" and slams his arms back down with an exasperated huff. And with that, all of Ciel's hopes of peacefully escaping a beating – and quite likely a sexual assault – quickly flew out the window.

If he could have pinched the bridge of his nose, he would have.

Ciel, being well aware that whatever cover he had had just up and vanished, figures that now was as good an opportunity as any to call for his moronic butler despite the hindering of his eye. He inhales as the door flies open, crashing into the wall with a sharp clang. Heavy footsteps thunder into the room.

"Sebast-!" A grimy hand suddenly covers Ciels mouth, smothering out his demand for rescue. Ciel bites into his assailant's flesh, his canines piercing the foul tasting skin. The man yowls, withdrawing his wounded appendage while pulling back his other to deliver a swift punch to Ciel's head.

"Son of a bitch!" The man snarls, shaking his hand. Ciel lifts his head back up, cracking his neck and sending an unseen glare at the intruder. During the small struggle, Ciel had moved his hands behind his back. He now prays that the motion wasn't noticed, that the man had paid no mind to Ciel's hands when he burst into the room. Praying, ha! Ciel knows that there is no 'God' for the likes of him. He had long since given up that right.

"What do you want?" Ciel questions, irritation glazing his tone with a thickness that gave the man the urge to strike Ciel again, to simply pound the insolence out of the little bastard.

There wasn't anything to stop him from doing so either, so he did.

Minutes pass and the pleasure of beating someone incapable of defending themselves fades. The man withdraws from the room, leaving bloodied footprints in his wake.

Ciel wheezes against the wall, arching his back into the sweet pain. He can feel his cursed blood soaking into the blindfold, weighing it down with the force of his sins.

Ciel's fingers reach up, tangling around the strap around his torso and feeling the length of it in search of the buckle. Finally finding it, Ciel fiddles and tugs at the unseen contraption until he frees himself, cursing at Sebastian all the while. _'How dare he not be here yet?'_

"Sebastian..." He growls, flinging the strap away from his body in frustration. _'Where the _hell_ is he?'_

Ciel sighs, the action alone causing his lungs and ribs to ache. Stupid asthma, stupid cracked rib. The door slams back open just as Ciel reaches up to untie the back of that damned blindfold that's been causing him such a degree of grief.

Ciel curses yet again as a shout fills the room and the upbeat staccato pounding (then squishing, presumably from blood puddles,) of boots reaches him and snatches his hands. More boots, two or three more people from the sound of things, stumble into the room. Well, more people might be a good thing, having an audience typically deters any molestation. Unless it's gang rape. Scratch all previous statements about it being beneficial.

Ciel has to force himself not to actively engage in another fight with the group (A beating from one was bad enough, he would pass on three.) and stops struggling as they forcefully restrain him again. As the click of the cuffs sound again Ciel finally opens his mouth.

"Bloody hell, just tell me what you want from me," he rasps, rolling his eyes behind their cover. "At least remove the damned blindfold." He adds in irritation.

"How the fuck did you get out of this?" One of the men still standing growls, crouching down with an oozing hostility.

"Do you know how often this shit happens to me?" Ciel bites back, the third man in the room choking back laughter at the response. Phantomhive was proving to be much more entertaining than he had anticipated.

Who ever was re-cuffing him stands up after finishing the job, the crouched man making a swipe at Ciel's face at the unappreciated comment.

"How. Did you. Get out?" The man drags out as if he's talking to an idiot, his voice resonating angrily in the depths of his throat.

"When someone speaks, you should listen to them the first time so they don't have to repeat themselves, your mother would be ashamed." Ciel responds, the blindfold concealing the mischievous glint of his eyes. "Regardless, it would be beneficial to both parties if you tell me what you want." Ciel adds before his previous comment could earn him another bruise.

"What we want?" the crouched man repeats ominously, gripping Ciels neck with a large calloused hand, "What we want, _Little Earl, _is to repay you for your royal services under the Queen. Thoroughly. Your 'job' has virtually crushed my beautiful organization, so I'm going to crush you in return." The man's voice slithers out with all the sliminess of a snake, with the venom to boot.

"So, in short, the only thing you're after is the satisfaction of beating someone who can't defend themselves." Ciel summarizes, frowning.

"Oh, we're after anything we can get from you." The man corrects, a purely evil grin dominating his face, something that Ciel did not need to see to know was there. Ciel's frown deepens, he knows that there's nothing he could barter them with that would get him out of the worst of this, and his contact was being disrupted by something... perhaps by distance, Ciel hadn't the foggiest of where he was. Regardless of why, this issue may spell the end of Ciel. No, he can't allow himself to think in such a way! Sebastian would find him eventually. The state he would be found in though is a totally different story. Prospects are looking quite grim for poor Ciel.


	2. The Damnedest Piece Of Fabric to Ever Be

_**{Hello again everyone! For those of you who have been on my fanfic's bandwaggon from the beginning, I've switched some stuff up and re-edited the first chapter. I've changed this to a modern day AU, but don't panic! There's an explanation in the Authors Note at the beginning of the first chapter. I only decided this while writing the third chapter, so if you find any inconsistencies in this chapter regarding the time warp please let me know.~ A big thanks for my lovely beta DemonVampire13 who was wonderful enough to type this for me, and thanks for all the favorites and a special thanks to Li the Twilight Knight, promocat, and MyChemicalDarkness for reviewing!}**_

Ciel trembles and wheezes from his position on the rough cement, his blood having long since dried to his bare flesh. He had pulled within his own consciousness, his mind not registering any coherent thoughts, not what had happened, not the pain wracking his body. This had never happened before, his worse fears—though he would never admit to being afraid of anything—had been realized. Sebastian had not come for him. That accursed group had done as they pleased, took what they wanted.

'_I want to die'_

That is the first thought that ghosts itself into his head. As soon as the apparition solidifies in this thoughts, his coherency flood back with it. The first thing Ciel does is chastise himself for his craving for the end. He couldn't afford such thoughts until his vengeance was exacted.

Then, his memory is mauled with thoughts of the previous events. The sharp pains and aching are quick to claim his body. Never before had he been subjected to this torture. He had met many with the intent, but Sebastian had always saved his ass (literally) before anyone got very far. Ciel is awestruck when he realizes exactly how many times he could have experienced this horrible type of assault had it not been for his butler.

He finds himself now craving Sebastian's presence, the security that accompanies it. Now, he has nothing. He is bare, utterly exposed and broken, crumpled in a bloody pool on the floor. He wishes to liquefy, to mix among his spilled life fluid and to become untouchable, to travel down a drain and be elsewhere.

A broken sob erupts from the aching cavity of his chest. He is angered; he had not consented to that action, that blatant sign of weakness. Despite his frantic and frustrated attempts to contain his own actions, his body detaches from his will. He is no longer in control, he realizes, as a strangled sob wracks through him.

He has no control of anything.

He has no influence over his position, his captors.

He has no say in the actions of his body.

He is at the mercy of his captors and his own subconscious.

This sense of being completely overpowered repulses Ciel. He was the one with the power; making others hopeless pawns was his job. He was the king on the chess board. He had fallen, for sure, but was this checkmate?

No, certainly not.

There were things he'd yet to do, things that had been guaranteed via contract. He would not, _could _not lose!

And _someone_ wasn't doing a very good job at upholding their part of the deal.

Ciel feels the god forsaken blindfold scratching on his swollen eyes, instantly directing his anger towards it. He pushes his face against the floor, dragging the cloth up at his temple. The fabric is pushed up high enough to reveal his entire contracted eye and half of the other before Ciel can't remove it any further due to his position. He feels a little relief at the unveiling o his contract. He can't fathom anything that would disrupt it in such a way, and he can't help the panic and dread growing in the pit of his stomach.

He can't pull himself up, he can't even move, not merely due to the remaining restraints or the physical injuries he had sustained. No, he was motionless for an entirely different reason. His pride had been damaged, run through by a saw mill and stripped into pieces. He may be able to be stitched together again, but the marks would never leave. These wounds would scar his pride for the rest of his damned existence.

With these thoughts in mind, he pools all of his energy, his hatred and fear, into one desperate and demanding call through his contract. An ultimatum that would not be ignored. If this failed, he would have no other option but to forfeit his life. He could not escape this alone and couldn't deal with this form of treatment. His pride, no matter how damaged, refused to let Ciel choose this torment over death.

Five monotonous minutes pass and his doubt had mixed with panic and bubbled to the surface. He squeezes his eyes shut, he held breath pushing and grinding against the walls of his lungs and his cracked ribs. A high pitched, guttural groan of agony slithers past his lips and he begins to contemplate possible ways to end his own life without the use of his hands.

Screaming erupts from somewhere outside his cell (which he had decided was an accurate description after evaluating it for a moment), and he feels relief at the noise despite no knowing the cause. He was either about to be killed or rescued, and those were the only options he felt he needed.

The heavy metal door flies open and slams into the rock, the putrid stench of blood rushing into the room. He's surprised, having thought he had grown accustomed to the odor through his own blood. The figure in the doorway gradually came into focus, his curse tingling and burning at the sight, in recognition.

"Seb-Sebastian…" Ciel whimpers, the figure appearing next to him at an inhuman speed. The blindfold is gruffly removed before solidified fingers are ghosting over exposed flesh. Ciel hears muddled apologies and cursing before his world spirals back into black.


	3. Prince Charming's Gory Rescue

**Hey~o everybody! Tons and tons of thanks for everyone that's favorited, subscribed, and reviewed! ILOVEYOUALLSOMUCH. Annnnd thanks to my Beta, DemonVampire13, eeeeeven though she magically turned all my dashes into Chinese symbols. (Don't worry, I still love you.) **

**Onward to Chapter 3! **

Sebastian knew that he wouldn't find Ciel in perfect shape – he never did under such circumstances – but he couldn't help feeling shocked at the severity of his master's condition this time around. Panic surfaced at the initial sight of the boy, Sebastian had been pulled from his horrified state when Ciel had rasped his name and verified that he was indeed alive despite all the bloodshed.

Ciel had quickly lost consciousness, but the feel of blood rushing under his skin was a comfort to Sebastian as he did a quick evaluation of the younger man's injuries, low apologies tumbling from the butler's mouth. He should have gotten here sooner... Sebastian spies the blindfold, the material emitting a repulsive – very inhuman – scent. It clearly wasn't crafted by human hands and this realization unsettles Sebastian greatly. He removes the accursed material and stuffs it into the pocket of his trousers. He is quick to remove his jacket and wrap Ciel's naked form in it, hoisting the unconscious young man up and carrying out of the cell with one arm.

Ciel's head rolls, his face burying into Sebastian's neck as the older man steps gingerly over the corpse of one of the guards. The jostling movement causes Ciel's fingers to clench aimlessly around the warm fabric cocooning him.

The pools of blood on the rough pavement make a sopping sound under Sebastian's dress shoes as he moves down the hallway, the lights flickering above their heads. Sebastian hears a small commotion down the passage, but it doesn't stop him from turning a corner leading to both the noise and the exit.

It doesn't take long for the group of men, who had happened across a slew of mutilated corpses, to take note of Sebastian's approach. They don't hesitate to raise their guns at the sight and he is quick to disarm. On a normal basis, he might allow them to shoot him, simply to show them that it wouldn't harm him and that they were facing something far more powerful than their mortal beings. Unfortunately, he had a greater priority at the moment – Ciel's safety – and he couldn't take the time to play with the mice before he kills them.

He ends them quickly, working not to jostle the body in his arms all the while. Despite Sebastian's efforts, Ciel flinches at the quick movements, his brow creasing farther as he curls deeper into the comfort of the demon's chest. Sebastian frowns at Ciel's flinch and kills the last man a bit more viciously than necessary in retaliation. Sebastian is out of the building and on the surface not thirty seconds after being sighted by the now mangled group.

He is half way to his concealed vehicle when he catches a scent on the breeze, the very same scent that lingers so insultingly on his young master's body. Hatred flares up in Sebastian and he is overcome with the need to feel this man's bones crumbled under his hands. He pauses debating on whether or not to turn around and hunt the man like the rat he is, but decides against it. He instead commits the scent to memory, bottles it up with his rage and stores it away for another day. Ciel would no doubt plan some form of torturous vengeance for the man, and Sebastian was willing to wait for the sake of Ciel's wishes.

Sebastian turns and makes his way back to his concealed vehicle, silently opening the passenger door and easing Ciel down. The younger male shivers as he is removed from the warmth of Sebastian's chest, pulling the large coat tightly around his bare shoulders as the car door closed softly. Sebastian rounds the vehicle at a human pace, eying his surroundings through the cold black velvet cover of night. Wails and shouts had begun in the depths of the underground building. The cries, strangled by the earth, could not escape Sebastian's ears.

He silently slides into the black car, bringing the engine purring to life with a small twist of his lithe fingers. The car is smoothly drawn out of it's hiding place and down the dirt drive, a glance in the rear-view mirror telling Sebastian that the survivors had began to pour out of the building in search of him.

He turns a corner, losing sight of the entrance, and continues down the winding drive. He glances at his passenger as he turns onto the main road and catches sight of the glimmer of moisture on the younger males face. Sebastian can't help his surprise at the sight, nor his growing rage at not only those who physically damaged Ciel, but also whoever created the damned piece of cloth in his pocket.

He takes note of his passenger's shivering and turns the heat up further, allowing one hand to ghost over Ciel's eyes and wiping away moisture before gliding through the younger male's hair and finally resting on his opposite shoulder. The shuddering quells under Sebastian's fingertips and he casts Ciel a somewhat relieved glance before turning his eyes back to the blurred yellow line of the highway. Sebastian's foot had been casually buried into the gas pedal, so what would have normally – legally – been a hour drive is now nearing its conclusion after about fifteen minutes. He has to slow considerably to turn into the estate's long driveway without rolling the vehicle.

Once the car had been safely parked in the garage, Sebastian rounds the vehicle and softly opens the passenger door, gathering up the unconscious teenager in his arms. Ciel stiffens for a moment, then relaxes into the touch, fingers peeking through the cocoon of the jacket and curling around the cloth on Sebastian's chest. Only now, after being in the warmth of the car, does Ciel register the night's chill on his exposed legs. With this discomfort, Ciel's consciousness begins to crawl back.

He begins to feel every ache in his body, the harsh twang in his chest, with every small jostle of his body and every bit of oxygen creeping into his airways. A weak groan bubbles past Ciel's lips as Sebastian opens the door to the house, the noise itself coaxing a sharp pain from his chest.

Warm air rushes over Ciel's trembling body as he is carried through the threshold of the house. His consciousness slips in and out, the pain never leaving. An indiscernible amount of time passes and Ciel suddenly feels his warm cocoon being removed. He clings to it weakly; if he had to deal with the pain, he wasn't going to deal with the cold too, if he could help it.

"Relax, bocchan, I need to check your wounds." Sebastian soothes, hands ghosting over Ciel's hair and rubbing his thumb over his shaking and desperate grip on the jacket. The shaking quells and Ciel's grip loosens at the gentle of baritone of Sebastian's voice and the butler allowed to unravel the disheveled teen.

Sebastian's hands and eyes tour Ciel's body, gently probing at anything that appears to be an open wound. Despite the amount of blood Sebastian had found his master in, the number of bruises significantly outweighed the lacerations on Ciel's body. Various parts of Ciel's limbs are raw from restraints, particularly his ankles. Sebastian's reasoning for this made his blood return to that hateful boil before he got back to business.

Sebastian glances around the bathroom, grabbing a hand towel that is within reach and dampened it with hot water, beginning to remove the dried blood from Ciel's cool skin. The teen leans into the moist heat of the fabric, eyes fluttering open, but only just a sliver. Ciel watches distantly as his butler's eyes narrow, reaching the scrapes and scuffs on this ribcage, feeling the cloth grazing the marks softly. Ciel begins his shivering again, as the cloth is now cold and he can no longer ignore the chill of the tiled room.

Sebastian glances up, eyes catching the drooping eyes of his master, and a distance filled with agony and pleading for relief. Sebastian sighs, quickly heating the cloth and finishing the makeshift bath. Bandages are applied quickly, yet properly, before the teen is wrapped in a large plush towel, giving him a childish look as Sebastian again scoops him up. At this point, all that Sebastian could do is administer pain medication and make the teen rest.

He carries Ciel down the hallway, the teens head lolling into Sebastian's neck once more as he nears the young master's bedroom. Sebastian makes it into the room without mishap and moves to put the boy to rest... until his retreat his halted by the slim fingers coiled into his shirt.

"Stay," Ciel rasps out in a tiny voice, grip tightening.

A smirk crosses Sebastian's face. "What a needy young master I have." he says slightly, crawling onto the bed and settling himself atop the covers in compliance. Minutes pass and Ciel's breathing evens out, his fingers never loosening their vice grip on Sebastian.


	4. Stupid Butler

**{Edit: Added a few lines to clear up some confusion. Also, I've gotten a bunch of reviews since I posted this chapter. Don't think you can win me over with all of this attention, I'm still mad at you for not reviewing the last chapter... okay, maybe you CAN win me over 3 I love you guys! :* } **

**I know, I know, I'm really late. Don't worry, I still love you all even though no one reviewed my last chapter and it made me cry myself to sleep at night. Anyway, the lateness was caused by a combination of my lack of motivation and my beta's busy schedule. Sorry it's so short, I'm not really happy with the story at the moment and I'm trying to find a way to right it without starting from scratch again. When you don't review I die a little in the inside. Love you all. – goes back to work – **

Ciel's body aches and his head is drumming as he cracks his eyes open, a scowl embedded to his face. He blinks… once… twice… he focuses his eyes on the black fabric mere centimeters away from his face, the soft scent of cinnamon registering in his brain as he blinks once more in confusion. A quick glance upward leaves Ciel meeting the red gaze of his butler. The teen jolts up into a sitting position, releasing his stiff grasp on Sebastian's chest. With the motion comes sharp pain, striking his body from all angles, and he can't help but to crumble back down with a groan.

"Good morning to you too, young master." Sebastian says, Ciel's eyes squinting open to see that the demon was now upright and holding his morning tea and a pill bottle.

"Might I ask why you're in my bed?" He questions, his pain an undertone in his voice as he gingerly props himself up again.

"It was your request, bocchan." Sebastian states, a smug smile creeping onto his features.

The teen gawks at the response, but quickly composes himself, leaving just his reddened face as evidence of his embarrassment. He says nothing and only clears his throat, gesturing for the cup, which Sebastian hands to him with a chuckle. Ciel sends him a glare as he takes the painkillers and downs them greedily, much to Sebastian's surprise. Typically, the boy was distasteful towards drugs such as these, preferring to wait for the pain to pass. His actions indicated the severity of his pain.

"Would you like me to fetch a doctor?" Sebastian inquires, concern flittering across his face before he conceals it.

"Are you incapable of treating me?" is the others questioning, incredulous reply.

"Of course not." The demon responds, looking somewhat appalled. How his master can even mockingly question his skills in all aspects of caretaking is beyond him. Ciel should surely be aware that Sebastian was the perfect butler.

Ciel chuckles lightly, the motion causing his chest to pang regardless. He clutches at his ribcage, his laughter morphing smoothly into a groan. Sebastian's fingers are on him, his shoulders, the meat of his arms, finally his face. Ciel feels the vibration of Sebastian's voice through his touch but doesn't register what the other says, his consciousness curling within itself for a moment in recollection of the cause of his pain. The first thing that registers is the warmth caressing his face, running through his hair soothingly. His consciousness slowly pulls him back into his surroundings as a small, raspy breath escapes his lips and his fingers curl desperately to the warm palm on his cheek.

"Nngh, S-Sebastian… it h-hurts." The teen gasps out, his small figure shaking.

For a moment, the butler is overtaken with the demonic urge to indulge in the body trembling before him, and then is hit with the shock of his own thoughts. He is quick to pull away from Ciel, moving to the door across the room as his eyes glowed savagely.

Ciel blinks from his hunched position on the bed. His eyes struggle to focus on his butler's figure across the room, but he sees that look in Sebastian's eyes before he can hide it. Oh yes, it's raw want, pure desire, of that, Ciel is sure. The cause, however, he has yet to understand.

He has noted these warps in behavior before, popping up with more frequency as time elapse and "boy" developed into "adolescent" before finally settling on "teenager." Ciel was not sure of these lapses in the devil's façade were caused by growing hunger for his soul… or some other sinful thought.

Both boy and demon compose themselves, an awkward silence seeping through the cracks in the walls. Ciel chooses to break it. "So, _Doctor_, do you know the extent of the damages? If not, I can tell you one thing for sure… my ribs hurt like a bitch." He states shakily, making Sebastian raise an eyebrow.

"Young master, you sound as though you've been spending a great deal of time with the chef," he states before answering. "Regardless, you've received multiple lacerations, a good deal of bruising all over your body, yes, you have some cracked ribs, but they aren't broken, and..." He stops himself from continuing, tugging on his gloves nervously.

Ciel continues to look at his butler, expecting him to add the final wound to the list… the biggest, most significant. He finds that he cannot name it; even thinking about it is too painful.

Sebastian's unease continues to grow as his little lord eyes him, his gaze swelling with frustration and… agony, it seems, as time creeps by. Concerned, he speaks up. "Young master?" He questions, his tone laced with worry.

Ciel's face contorts in hurt and disgust at the words. How could he not know what they did to him – forced into him? His body still ached with marks left by harsh grips and the eternal wound they had marred him with. The physical damage would heal, yes, but the ghost of the incident would haunt him, his innocence never returned. How could a demon such as Sebastian not notice the loss of something so significant to his prey? Wouldn't it taint the flavor of the soul? "Get out." He orders, snapping his head to the right, finding the wall a better sight to the boy than Sebastian, at least for the moment.

The butler steps back in surprise at the sudden hostility, not understanding the cause. "Yes, my lord." He replies, his voice not hinting at his thoughts. He calmly exits the room, leaving the soft click of the door in his wake.

**Please oh please oh PLEASE review, come on guys it'll make me want to write this thing more.**


	5. Even Tea Cups Shiver Sometimes

**Hello again! First order of business: This chapter is dedicated to the lovely rexXROC, who reviewed the shit out of my last chapter and made my insides turn to goo with flattery. Thank you! :***

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><strong>Secondly, this chapter's only half beta'd as of now, but I wanted to get it up soooo here it is. There are probably errors. Your reviews made me want to update. Yes. Magical isn't it? <strong>

Ciel's eyes crack open, the hazy room coming into a gradual focus, bathed in a warm sunset light. For a brief moment, the teen was at peace—a cat basking in a sunlit windowsill—until the living impressionist painting vanishes with the return of the ache in Ciel's ribs, his heart. With the pain, his other senses return and he catches wiff of something mouthwatering on the bedstand. He sits up slowly, gingerly, turning his attention to the steaming soup and fresh bread to his right. He can't help but appreciate the much needed meal, momentarily forgetting his irritation at his butler.

His wrist aches as he holds the bowl and daintily feeds himself, but the hunger he didn't know he had overpowers the pain. The normalcy of eating—the familiarity of the dishes' patterns and the smoothness of the silver spoon over his tongue—helps tug Ciel back into the reality of his position. He is home. He is in his room. He was no longer in that horrible place. Sebastian had found him.

_He is_ _safe._

For the first time since his return, he is hit with relief. He lowers the bowl to his lap, his posture crumbling as his spine caves into his headboard.

There's still something missing. The catalyst to his comfort. His butler.

The teen bites his lip in hesitation, unsure if he's willing to sacrifice his pride to summon his demon after the earlier incident.

Well, he couldn't avoid the man forever, now could he?

"Sebastian." Ciel calls, sitting himself up despite the protest in his ribs.

The door cracks open and a head of raven hair peeks into the room. "Yes, my lord?" The butler says inquisitively, clearly war of his ward's mood.

"You can come in you know, it's somewhat pitiful for a demon to fear his meal." Ciel scoffs, watching his butler move fully into the room and stand at the side of his bed. "Speaking of food, today's soup was quite good, though I've had better." The Earl lies. He had never eaten anything so satisfying, but he had already betrayed his pride by calling the manservant into the room. He had no intention of doing so again, fearing that Sebastian would think him weak.

"I'll try harder next time." Sebastian assured, however the teen's light blush and lack of eye contact have given away his fluke. "Have you sampled the tea yet?" He questions, gesturing to the cup still steaming where he had left it.

Ciel shakes his head briefly and extends his bowl-occupied hands. His butler is quick to confiscate the dish and replace it with the cup of vaporous liquid. Ciel drinks its contents daintily, his eyes never leaving the amused ruby orbs belonging to his demon.

"When will I be able to attend school again?" He questions after a moment of comfortable silence.

"I'm afraid not some time. You must wait until you can move about comfortably, at least, my lord." Sebastian explains. "I've already contacted your teacher's and gathered a week's worth of lessons, lest you fall behind in your studies."

"How considerate of you." Ciel replies, his words drawn out and bogged down under the weight of his enthusiasm.

He rolls his eyes; homework was _**just**_ what he needed. Sebastian pouts mockingly at the other's display, all the while eyeing the more subtle display of Ciel's abnormally lax body language. The delicate curl of his legs under his torso, the relaxed curve of his spine, and the way his hands gently cradle the porcelain up in the snare of his pale fingers. Lastly, Sebastian's focus is drawn to Ciel's pink, tea dampened lips, parted ever so slightly as his head lolls with the roll of his mismatched eyes. Only when those lips part further and begin shaping words does Sebastian snap out of his daze.

"Pardon?" He asks, working to conceal his own surprise at the slip.

Ciel's brows furrow. "I _said_ that you truly are a demon, torturing me with all of this boring work." The boy repeats himself, wondering what brought about his butler's sudden lapse. He was unaware that the demon was even capable of lapsing, then recalls how long it took for Sebastian to respond to his call and find him when he had been captured. Ciel shivers at the thought. "What took you so long? Finding me, that is." His eyes bore into Sebastian's with a challenging curiosity.

"Ah, about that," Sebastian begins, reaching into his breast pocket and retrieving the mysterious cloth. "This had been secured around our contract as a blindfold. It was crafted by something inhuman and powerful, with the purpose of fully covering the connection between two contractors."

"So they have something supernatural working for them as well." Ciel bites his lip, smothering his concern.

"Or they're the ones working for something supernatural," Sebastian counters, watching as Ciel cringes at the concept. The demon creeps closer to the teen, crawling up onto the bed and looming over him. Sebastian leans forward, hands gripping the mahogany headboard as his lips ghost about the shell of Ciel's ear "Nothing is capable of taking you away from me," he whispers, pulling back so his eyes bore into the boys. "Ever."

Ciel finds his breath ragged as his butler pulls away just as quickly as he had come, leaving the teen with a cooling cup of Earl Gray clattering briskly against the saucer held beneath it.


	6. No One Dresses Ciel Phantomhive

**Ho ho ho~ Hello again and Happy Holidays to everyone! I love you all~ ((blows kisses))**

**This chapter's not beta'd either, so please excuse (or point out) any mistakes you find in tenses or whatever. I had way too much fun with this. I enjoy Sassy!Ciel and Perv!Sebastian. Way. Too. Much. I probably went a little overboard with some description in this, but meh.**

The blackout curtains of Ciel's bedroom slide open with a smooth clatter, spitefully assaulting the slumbering teen with obnoxious sunlight. His plush comforter muffles his irritated groan as he smothers himself with the fabric and curls away from the intrusion. Sebastian cannot contain the chuckle deep in his throat at the stereotypical teenage behavior.

"Oh shut up. Close the curtains." Ciel growls, sleep making his voice gravely and hoarse.

"Where would the fun be in that?" the black clad man replies chipperly, "You wanted to attend school today, correct?" he adds, moving away from the window and fetching the tray of tea and beagles from the cart he had wheeled in prior. The gentle placing of the tray on the nightstand fails to draw the concealed teens attention. "This mornings tea is Chai, accompanied by a plain beagle with whipped cream cheese." Sebastian states, waiting momentarily for a response of some sort, one which never comes. The boy doesn't even shift. The demon sighs in exasperation and pinches the bridge of his noes with a gloved hand.

"Come now, don't be stubborn." Sebastian chastises, swiftly peeling the blanket off the teen. Ciel curls further into himself, drawing a spare pillow over his head. "You're not five years old. Stop acting like a child, I won't treat you like one." he assures, tapping a gloved hand on the nightstand in irritation. A cheshire grin splits his face "If you don't get up, I'll find _other means_ of keeping you from sleeping."

"You wouldn't _dare_." Ciel snarls lowly, stiffening at not only the demons threat but also the pure predatory gleam he's sure is in Sebastians eyes as he stares at the boy. Ciel looked like a cat with its fur on end.

"Challenge accepted."

Before the poor boy had an opportunity to call a cease-fire the demon was on him, ripping his lounge pants from his body.

"What the _fuck_ Sebastian!" he squeals, shooting up and trying to scramble away while he still has his undergarments. The escape attempt is of course futile, his plain white t-shirt slipping over his small frame before he can hope to resist.

"If you don't get dressed shortly you'll be late." the butler explains, a demons glint to his crimson eyes as they wander up the teens body to meet his flustered sapphire glare. He removes himself from his master in an instant and gestures to the outfit laid out on a neighboring chair. "If you go back to bed, there _will_ be repercussions." he warns, moving to leave the room.

"Yes _mom_." Ciel bites back, the red finally fading from his face. A dark chuckle slithers past Sebastians lips as the door closes behind him. A very loud, frustrated yell shakes through the bedroom and leaks throughout the building as the teen flops back onto the mattress before rolling off again. Ciel begrudgingly makes his way to the pile of freshly pressed slacks and stiff polo shirt and grimaces. His butler should know by now that all attempts to clothe the boy as such are futile. A devious and vengeful plot simmers to life in the teens mind as he takes a contemplative sip of tea.

Bypassing the outfit, the teen makes his way to his closet, ripping the door open and pawing his way to the back of the cavern. Moments later the boy emerges, clutching a pile of shredded clothing and making his way to his bathroom.

Sebastian had brought this upon himself.

Half an hour later Ciel takes his sweet time heading down the main staircase, his eyes glittering with triumph as he catches his butlers attention. Sebastians eyes narrow as he takes in the sight of the boy from head to toe.

Disheveled hair dusts over the silk of his eye patch and sparkling mischievous gaze. The pale column of his neck is disrupted only by a thin studded leather collar, the sight of his skin plunges past his clavicle before being interrupted by a stretch of netting. The taught black v-neck tank top hugging his torso comes up short and exposes more than most, the net undershirt not improving the teens decency. A navy blue zip-up hoodie hangs from both of the boys shoulders, material gathering on his arms and at the disruption of his studded belt.

The butlers pupils narrow into demonic slits as he spots the dangerously high rips in Ciels gray skinny jeans, or more specifically at the pale skin exposed through them. His eyes travel down the length of the teens delicate legs, noting that the balance between cloth and skin is relatively equal. The demons licks his lips at the sight of the black leather boots wrapped so snugly around Ciels calves, adorning an assortment of zippers and snaps, graciously supported by a four inch stiletto heel.

"My lord, those are _not_ the clothes I laid out for you." Sebastian says, averting his gaze to hide the sudden excitement in his eyes.

"Well it's too late to change now, isn't it." The teen replies, reaching the bottom of the staircase in a grace that would make women jealous and men swoon regardless of sexual preference. The teen daintily plucks his bag from his butlers grasp, his arm trembling at the sudden and unexpected weight. "Urgh, this thing weighs a ton. Carrying this number of books should be illegal." Ciel gripes as he adjusts the strap on his small shoulder and makes his way to the door. Sebastians gaze is unintentionally drawn to his masters rear by the swing of the boys hips.

"Are you going to get the car or just stare at my ass all day?" Ciel blatantly questions, shooting a glance at the demon over his shoulder. The teen chuckles as his butler mutters denials and hurries out the door.

**So, I wanted to share something that my lovely beta did to my notebook while I was writing this chapter. After the paragraph where Ciel enters his closet, she wrote:**

"**Trolololo~ **

**Trolololo~**

**And then they had lots of sex!**

**The end."**

**This is why I love her.**

**She's also encouraged me to sneak in cheesy meme phrases like "Challenge Accepted." You've been warned. **


	7. Even If You Pull Out His Fingernails

**Yo homes. This chapter hasn't been beta'd either. I had a lot of fun with the dialogue, hope you like it as much as I do! :) I love Alois, I really do. I want to just kidnap him and go on glorious troll adventures. Yes. I couldn't _not_ put him in here. Don't hate. **

The drive to school proves to be awkward for the butler, though no one would be able to see the disturbance in his expression. This, of course, excludes Ciel who is silently celebrating his clear triumph in flustering the demon. Words were not exchanged throughout the fifteen minute drive to the academy, for nothing needed to be said.

The sleek black car pulls up to the schools gate and Ciel leans back and runs his hands through his soft midnight hair, casting a glance at his butler turned driver.

"See you later Sebs." A mischievous smirk slides onto his features as he steps gracefully out of the vehicle and saunters away. Sebastians knuckles are white on the leather encased steering wheel, his jaw set as he catches himself watching the teens hips and admiring the way the heels enhance the boys already prominent swagger.

"See you later indeed." He mutters with a sigh, forcing himself to look away and shift the car into drive.

Ciel is quick to find that his attire gathers a bit more attention than usual. Or perhaps it was simply because no one had heard from him in the past week. Or both. Regardless, Ciel had never been one to shy from the lime light. He casts naught a glance at his onlookers as he struts his way to his locker, slamming it closed after ridding himself of 90% of his load. He turns around to nearly run right into a purple clad chest, which suddenly closes the distance to his face.

"Ciel~! Where have you been! I missed you _so_ much!" a feminine male voice squeals out as Ciel is crushed further into the other boys collarbone.

"Get the hell off me, you wanker!" Ciel growls, pushing against the chest with his free hand. After a lingering second the cage of arms unravels itself from the boy and he is released from the exuberant blonds grasp. Well, except for the fluttering touches to his arms and shoulders as the disturbingly happy blond rapidly spews words from his mouth in an attempt to update the shorter boy on the past weeks events. The shrill voice slithers in one of Ciels ears and out the other as he bats away for flitting hands. "Alois," Ciel says, voice laced heavily with irritation as he looks up at the taller boy, "Do you really think that I care about some prank Elizabeth and her little friends pulled, or some rumor about getting a new teacher?"

"Erm, probably not." Alois deduced, pulling one arm around his chest and using the other to support his chin as he speculates.

"I wish you would have caught on sooner." The ravenette chirps in a mocking version of his friends cheerfulness.

Yes, that's right. Ciel Phantomhive has a friend. Though he wouldn't admit it under the cruelest of tortures.

"But we really _are_ getting a new music teacher, Ciel!" Alois says in exasperation as the pair begin their stroll to their first period class.

"Mmhm, just like when you said someone was replacing Bard as our home ec. Teacher. I still go home with my clothes smelling like burnt flesh." A single eye rolls and takes a sidelong glance at his flustered companion. "Besides, if they replaced Ms. Longfellows what would your beloved Mr. Faustus do?" The smaller teen adds, watching gleefully as Alois' face twists with a mix of emotion and washes with red.

"You _know_ Mr. Faustus doesn't actually _care_ for that slut. He just uses her to pass the time." Alois replies simply, choosing to leave it at that. His face remains the same however.

"Urgh, speaking of Mr. Faustus, when's our next calculus test?"

"Uh, today I think."

"Fuck."

The door to homeroom swings open, the pair nonchalantly entering. Ciel is too disgusted by the upcoming test to notice the multiple stares in his direction, but the blond immediately catches on.

"Hey Ciel," he whispers as they slide into their adjoining seats, "You should stop dressing like a hoe, everyone's staring at you." Ciel casts him an incredulous look.

"Alois, you dress like a prostitute every day. You're just jealous because you never get this much attention."

"Shut up, am not." The blond growls, facing the front of the room with a huff. He ignores the shorter boy for a total of four seconds before looking at him again. "Why _are_ you dressed like that anyway?"

"Sebastian was being an ass this morning, I thought I'd teach him a lesson." The blonds sudden snort surprises the bluenette.

"You and your damn butler, you might as well be married."

"...Whatever drugs you're doing, you need to stop."

"Sure you don't want to try some?"

"No, unlike you I quite like my brain cells."

"Party pooper." Alois huffs for the second time, only now with a more dramatic flare. He plops his chin onto his desk as their eccentric silver haired science teacher wanders into the room with a flask of dog biscuits under his arm. "Betcha didn't miss Physics class, eh? The Undertaker's such a wacko." the blond mumbles into his arm with another glance at his neighbor, something that the majority of the class had been doing all morning. Ciel couldn't help but find the irony in his friend referring to anyone as a 'wacko' considering his mental state, a small smirk of amusement graces his features before being replaced with that of irritation.

"I would say that it was a well needed break, but Sebastian yet again reminded me of his inhuman cruelty. I'm currently four chapters ahead."

"Your butler's a fuckin' Nazi!" Alois whispers and snorts, "You poor S.O.B.!" he cries, forgetting the concept of silent classroom conversation as he bursts out in hysterical laughter. If this weren't completely normal behavior for the blond, and if this weren't the Undertaker's classroom, the pair might have been reprimanded. Here, however, no one even acknowledges the blond's noisy outburst, or the fact that he is currently pounding his desk with his fist in mirth and muttering 'Nazi butler' through his hysterics.

Ciel sighs and turns his attention out the window, is immediately repulsed by the bright morning sun, and promptly puts his head down. After a moment Alois' voice tones down to muted giggles then to silence. With Alois' composure comes the familiar exaggerated drawl of the Undertaker and before the boy recognizes the oncoming pull of sleep he's already engulfed in it's black waters.

**Review for future smut and glorious troll adventures! :U **


	8. One Hell of a Music Class

_**Yo peeps. Sorry this is a little late, didn't get around to typing it until this morning. Again, I loves you all, and I would love to hear from you! Comments, critiques, and criticism are greatly appreciated. **_

Ciel's first few classes pass without event, his second period English class blending smoothly into his advanced classic literature course in a molasses flow. The fourth period bell did not alleviate the boy of his boredom, though his moronic sidekick simply could not contain his excitement regarding their alleged new teacher.

"Oh, oh! What if he's cute?" The blond gushes, bouncing along side the unamused bluenette. Fortunately for Ciel, he teen had long since learned to drown out Alois' girlish drabble. The blonds giddiness increases to a manic state as the pair approach the door, but is given no time to adequately prepare himself before Ciel pushes the door open and storms in, as he does with all of his classes.

The room had been rearranged to an extent that the blonder of the pair double checks the numbers on the outside of the door. Students file into their desks, now in a semi-circular formation, and gossip excitedly amongst themselves as Ciel and Alois claim their seats. There isn't a teacher in sight. Ciel looks at the clock in irritation, betting that whoever is conducting the class will arrive late, and would likely prove to be an unorganized mess within the week.

The door swings open just as the bell tolls through the speakers. Ciels eyes narrow in suspicion as he takes in the very familiar figure strolling into the room. He begins hissing under his breath.

"Son of a-"

"Good morning class, my name is Mr. Michaelis and I will be your music teacher from today onward. I expect good things from you, do not disappoint me." He announces, scarlet eyes sweeping across the class through modern square glasses. His gaze settles on Ciel, the hint of a wicked smirk curling the corners of his lips. The boy scoffs, straightening his posture and crossing his arms challengingly. Sebastians grin only widens at the sight. Alois casts Ciel a confused glance, his eyes darting between the boy and the teacher, whom he does not recognize.

"Well, now that I've introduced myself it's only proper that you give me your names. First and last, starting from the left please."

Introductions passed quickly, and the somewhat casual atmosphere of the classroom was unsurprisingly replaced with Mr. Michaelis' military lessons. This, of course, is nothing new to Ciel, though the panic in his classmates eyes is evident. The demon, as a courtesy, had asked the class if they knew the basics. The morons had replied with the affirmative and Sebastian had delved straight into having the entire class play Fauré's Sonata No. 1 in A Major on the violin. The only one who proves to be capable, unsurprisingly, is the young master. The torture of screeching violins is finally brought to an end by the dismissal bell and the horde of students swarm to the door like mice being pursued by a cat.

"Ciel, you coming?" Alois chirps from the mass, looking incredulously at the boy who had yet to return his instrument to it's case.

"No, I'll catch up with you later." The teen replies, not casting even a glance at the blond as he glares at the teacher. Alois' curiosity is beyond piqued, but he values his life too highly to continue harassing his friend while his face is warped with such an intense expression. The blond slips into the hall with the pull of the crowd, the door clicking shut behind him.

"What are you doing here?" Ciel inquires, not bothering to hide his suspicion. His glare never peels away from his butler, who whips away the marks on his whiteboard.

"I simply wish to keep an eye on you," The demon hums, "and do put the violin away."

"You've never felt the need to watch me here before, why start now?" The boy huffs, snapping the violin case open in a swift, angry motion.

"In all the time I am with you, I've never come across another demonic scent, you see," He says with a sigh, moving to lean on his desk and finally meeting Ciels gaze. "and this fabric," he fishes it from his pocket.

"The blindfold." Ciel acknowledges with a wince, looking at Sebastian expectantly.

"Hm, in order to make an item such as this, one must have not only a piece of the target, a hair or a piece of worn clothing for example, but also a familiarity with them as an individual, particularly something they fear."

"So you're saying someone who's close to me made that."

"Indeed, and this is truly the only place we are separated."

"You do realize that you can't just follow me about, you have classes to teach." Ciel scrutinizes, taking a step closer to his butler.

"Finding the perpetrator will likely be a long process." A smirk toys at the demons lips.

"Why take such a long term position? Why not simply investigate without putting yourself in my classroom?" The teen challenges and another step is taken, leaving him in reaching distance.

"Well," the smirk spreads like a plague, Sebastian closing the distance between them. He hovers over the boy, hooking his fingers through his belt loops, "when the young master chooses to dress so suggestively, what kind of butler wouldn't be there to ensure that he is not stolen again?" The demon concludes with a breathy chuckle.

"You bastard." Ciel laughs, unable to prevent the light blush from creeping onto his flesh. A moment passes and his light laughs fade, he pats his demon on the shoulder, "Keep your creeping on me to a minimum while you're here," he pushes past Sebastian and moves to the door, "you wouldn't want to alarm anyone of our _relationship_, correct Mr. Michaelis?" The teen inquires teasingly, another chortle ghosting from his lips as the door gently swings closed behind him.

_**So I'm thinking about making things a little steamier shortly, and I'd like to know to what degree of steaminess you guys are game for. Review and tell me what you think!**_


	9. Don't Lie, You're Already Her Bitch

_**Hello! Sorry for my tardiness, I didn't really get a chance to type this until now. It's unbeta'd (again), so pardon any tense errors or awkwardness. This chapter's mostly dialogue, not a whole lot of steaminess (though personally I think Alois' presence makes everything steamy, dem booty shorts~) Anyway, I finally brought in Miss Elizabeth! She's not the same Lizzy you all know and love (or not) but I hope you guys will love (or simply tolerate) her anyway!**_

Alois looks up as a nearly empty tray clatters onto the lunch table next to him, a comment on the new arrivals bad eating habits and unnatural sugar consumption on his tongue. Ciels face, however, kills the words before they leave his lips. He boy looked positively flustered. Ciel Phantomhive never looks flustered. It wasn't even applicable to his features, or so Alois had always thought. Alois' initial though is that perhaps the boy is constipated, or severely, _severely_ ill. Or something steamy and scandalous happened in the music room. The blond had always preferred thoughts of the scandalous nature, but the fact that this situation dealt with _the_ Ciel Phantomhive made him doubt anything of that nature. Despite the bluenettes appearance and the impression he leaves on people, Alois had long ago decided that his friend was asexual. If Alois knew what reproductive budding was, he would likely have checked the boy for growths.

"Hey Ciel."

"What?" The teen questions without his usual bite, still partially in a daze.

"There's something on your face." The blond says with an abnormal seriousness, pulling his friend into alertness.

"What? Where?" Confusion mixes into Ciel's odd expression.

"All over." And Ciel starts feeling his face.

"What is it? I don't feel anything."

"Blush. Blush _everywhere._" The blond says, announcing it as if it were the sign of a fatal disease.

"... Alois." Ciels hand falls, his expression stiffening.

"Nyes~?" Alois' serious facade crumbles instantly.

"Shut the fuck up."

"On it boss!" He chirps with a quick salute. Ciel pulls his chair out with an angry scrape against the floor and plops himself into it with a huff. About one minute passes and Alois can no longer contain his curiosity. No, he had never heard the of phrase regarding curiosity and it's clear distaste for cats, but perhaps if he had he would have been spared from his smaller friends wrath on many occasions.

"So how 'bout that new teacher?" The blond blurts out 'casually' to his table mates. Ciel promptly spews out his chocolate milk in a coughing frenzy, effectively drawing the attention of everyone at the table. He can feel every ones gaze on him, and the blood rushing to his face wasn't simply because of his asphyxiation. The teen briefly contemplates leaving, but is quick to realize that would be a dead give away, to what he wasn't sure.

"That man is a total moron, he clearly doesn't know how to teach a class." Ciel states after recovering, dabbing his mouth with a napkin before turning his attention to his German chocolate cake. The majority of his peers – Finny, Soma, and the like – accept his statement as proof of the boys distaste and return back to their previous discussion. Elizabeth and Alois, however, continue to stare at him knowingly. Ciel has to work at not showing his growing panic and embarrassment under the pairs scrutiny.

"Oh? You don't waste your time with idiots, no?" Lizzy inquires, putting a finger to her chin innocently. Alois mimics the gesture, cocking his head and looking at Elizabeth.

"But Ciel stayed after class to talk to Mr. Michaelis, so that can't be true!" he chimes in.

"Is that so? Well why on earth would he do that?" Elizabeth questions, meeting Alois' gaze before the two turn simultaneously to stare down their friend. If Ciel were a lesser man he would shrink under their dual glares. Instead, the bluenette polishes off his cake, licks the frosting from his fork, tells the pair that they are _clearly_ delusional, pulls himself from his seat and makes his way out of the cafeteria.

Elizabeth and Alois continue to stare at their friend as his retreating form slips out of the mess halls double doors. As soon as the door closes behind Ciel the blonds flock together, leaning over the table to speculate their friends odd behavior in relative secrecy.

"Oh my god, is he sick?" Elizabeth hisses, shooting a glance back at the door.

"He must be! I mean if it were anyone but Ciel I would suggest something else, but..." Alois' face scrunches at the thought.

"Hm, I see what you're saying... but he's not a robot, he _does_ have emotions. It's possible that he's developed a crush on this new teacher! Maybe. I think..." She trails off, growing more and more unsure of her statement.

"If my emotions you mean 'baby punting _rage!_" Alois blurts out, gesticulating wildly.

"..."

"..."

"Maybe they have angry sex."

"_Elizabeth!_" The boy recoils, his hands out defensively.

"_What_? You were thinking it too!" She pouts, twiddling her thumbs.

"That doesn't justify it, you should speak more like a _lady._" Alois chastises, wagging his fork at her from his slumped position in his chair.

"Oh please, I stopped being a 'lady' when I put those stink bombs in the boys locker room." She rolls her eyes, stretching out in her chair.

"Oh. My. God. That was _you!_ But Joker totally got pinned with that! – _wait._ That was right after he broke up with you wasn't it? Naughty girl!" Alois deduced with a laugh, giving his stamp of approval to Elizabeth's devious vengeance.

"Mmhm, keep your mouth shut Trancy, I don't need his little clown posse bringin' me and my girls down."

"Don't worry my little mobster, these lips are sealed!" He coos with a wink, putting a finger in front of his lips. Elizabeth can no longer suppress her giggles, they begin to escape her lips in little flutters.

"Just be glad that you don't owe me any money." Her chuckling grows in volume.

"Well I don't have any cash, but I _could _pay you with my body." He says, wiggling his eyebrows provocatively, effectively causing his friend to bust a gut with laughter.

"Oh honey, you're so gay the only way you could pay me with your body would be if I made you my bitch and sold you off to old men for an hour at a time!" She forces out through tears and pain inducing laughter.

"Meh, true enough." Alois shrugs, "Anyway, are we going to do this or not?"

"You mean figure out what's up with Ciel and the new teacher by totally violating Ciel's privacy and potentially risk getting a restraining order filed on us?"

"Exactly."

"Of course we're doing it! I mean, what kind of friends would we be if we couldn't figure out our dear Ciels inner turmoil?"

"Horrible ones, so we shall get these restraining orders in the name of friendship!" Alois declares, raising his milk carton to the girl across the table.

"Amen to that, good sir!" Elizabeth laughs, bumping her carton to his.

_**Well, what do you think? I want to knooooow!**_

_**Review for Lizzy and Alois' trollin' shenanigans! Well, that an when I hit 69 reviews I'll post two chapters in that weeks update. :)**_


	10. Crochet Webs and Worthless Romances

_** because really, when isn't Claude a creeper?**_

_**Unbeta'd again. My beta doesn't love me! -dramatic sob- So again, pardon any stupid tense/grammatical/spelling errors.**_

_**Oh yeah, my beta and I couldn't remember if I had mentioned what grade the boys were in, so if any of you wonderful readers remember or aren't as lazy as I am and look it up, please inform me.**_

_**I just drank some of my peppermint tea, then remembered that the water was BOILING five minutes ago. Sometimes my own intelligence astounds me.**_

Ciel makes his way to his locker, face screwed into a twist of confusion and mild disgust. Why on Earth was his face red? It made no logical sense and thinking about it only left the boy frustrated and, well, redder. He slams his locker closed with a grumble, adjusting his calculus books in his dainty arms. The boy regrettably begins his journey to the math room a good ten minutes before the beginning of class, turning in his back work in mind. He visibly cringes at the thought of being alone in a room with Claude Faustus for any amount of time, but the teen simply refuses to return to the lunch room for another round of ridicule courtesy of the evil blond duo.

A short – _too short_ – minute later, Ciels knuckles rap on the classroom door. Without waiting for a reply, he swings the door open and enters without betraying a single hint at his discomfort on his face.

"Hm, welcome back Mr. Phantomhive. I see you haven't lost your overbearing attitude." The monotone voice of his teacher slithers out from behind the mountainous stacks of papers on the large black wood desk.

"I would say that it's good to be back in your class, but I don't fancy myself a liar." the teen replies smoothly, closing the door behind him as Mr. Faustus pushes himself from his – _lair_ – desk. By the time the boy turns around, his personal space has already been invaded, the teacher looming like a predator over his small frame.

"You have so much work to make up Mr. Phantomhive, so many missed lessons... I must insist that you spend your time after school with me, for at least the remainder of the week." Faustus purrs, one hand pressing against the wall behind Ciel, the other fluttering _very unprofessionally_ over the boys cheek – so close to touching his skin that the teen can feel the heat radiating from the older mans fingers.

"_Actually,_" Ciel begins with the smallest of wavers in his tone, "I'm here to give you the past weeks assignments. I've already read chapters 22 through 24, established a full understanding of them, and done all of the available problems." Eyebrows knitting together just slightly, the boy pushes his notebook into the teachers chest, effectively putting an additional six inches between them. "Considering that this puts me two chapters ahead, I think staying with you is unnecessary." The teen says comfortably, the force of his composure hardly evident. Faustus takes a moment, then retreats back to his desk with the papers.

"Hm, we'll see about that. If you have any issues –_ at all_ – with these assignments, I will have to schedule you a mandatory stay." The older man threatens, poorly concealing his bitterness. Ciel's eyes narrow as his teacher overlooks the papers, and clicks his tongue. Sebastian had drilled him mercilessly on these chapters, even checked his answers. The chance of there being anything incorrect on those paper was equal to the chance of Sebastian declaring his distaste for cats.

Several silent minutes pass, filled with only the sounds of shifting paper and the occasional click of the Calculus teachers tongue.

"Your processes are wrong, this isn't the way I would like these problems done-"

"But the answers are correct."

"-yes, but there's a shorter way to do this, I want you do solve them that way. Stay after."

"You're seriously making me stay because I answered more thoroughly than you prefer?" The boy growled, struggling to remain civil. This teacher never fails to bring out the worst in Ciel.

"Indeed I am." Faustus states, looking smugly at the bluenette just as the fifth period bell releases it's digital rasp through the classroom speakers. "Take your seat Mr. Phantomhive." The by-speckled man says emotionlessly, reclining in his seat and pulling his crocheting from one of his desk drawers. Not three seconds later, the door flies open and an overly enthusiastic Alois frolics into the room making a bee line to his seat at the front of the class.

"Good afternoon Mr. Faustus! Looks like I'm the first one here again! It's because I just love your class _so_ much-" The blond finally turns to face the desk, taking in the sight of an apathetic Claude and an irritated Ciel. "Baw! Ciel, you bastard! How could you get here before me?" He whined, flopping over the back of his chair and pouting.

"Mr. Trancy, please watch your language." The older man lectures in his horrendous monotone voice, his addressing of the blond the only sign of his acknowledgment of the hyperactive boy.

"I assure you that if given the option I would _never_ arrive in this classroom." Ciel states as he takes his seat behind his pouting classmate.

"Awe, you're so mean Ciel! You'll hurt Mr. Faustus' feelings." Alois chastises, shooting a somewhat amused glance at their heartless teacher as more students pile in.

"Teenagers are so cruel." Mr. Faustus says with mock distress. Well, as distressed as one can appear with a straight face and a toneless voice. Alois laughs hysterically, Ciel rolls his eye, and class is called to attention.

The bluenette, of course, doesn't feel the need to pay much attention to the lesson at hand, finding the ridiculous teacher and his nonsense unworthy of his time. Ciel instead alternates between doodling cakes and firearms in his notebook, and watching Alois' painful attempts at gaining the attention of their distasteful teacher. The smaller teen couldn't really understand the blonds persistence with the cold man, but Ciel couldn't really understand much regarding his friend or the teacher. Particularly how the creeper still had his job.

In the ninth grade—the two teens first year in the high school building—Mr. Faustus had taken _unprofessional_- interest in the blond. At the time, Ciel had not been required to take a math course, and hadn't been as well acquainted with Alois Trancy. In fact, it was only after Claude Faustus had lost interest in the boy and stopped buying him things – began ignoring his existence – did Ciel begin to associate with the eccentric blond. Not a month later the teacher had set his carnivorous sights on the smaller male.

Alois had noticed the change in Claude around Ciel, and if Ciel had been anything but a brutish asexual snob to the teacher Alois would have certainly been jealous. Fortunately Alois' sadistic joy at seeing his one sided love's advances crash and burn time and time again outweighed the ever present twang in his heart at the teachers coldness. He couldn't stop himself, however, from trying his hardest at winning the man back. Alois knew it was hopeless—wrong—but the teen had never fel more valued than he had during his year wit Claude. That value had vanished with the mans attention, and Alois had lost the self respect necessary for keeping himself from showing his desperation in Claudes presence. The years had rolled by, nothing has changed, and now the two boys were seniors.

Alois knew it was a lost cause, but giving up now would make him indecisive, on top of being a valueless and desperate whore. At this point he was just glad that Ciel was still letting him hang around. He was sure the smaller teen was utterly repulsed by his actions around Claude, but still allowed the blonds company for some reason. And for that, Alois was thankful. It was something the blond was determined to keep Ciel from regretting.

_**So yeah. 69 reviews = bonus chapter.**_

_**Or a smutty oneshot. **_

_**Not sure yet, opinions? **_


	11. Yes, Everyone Wants That Shota

**I was looking through my past reviews the other day, and I just wanted to let you guys know that you're fucking fantabulous. I love you all, keep them coming!~ Remember folks, 69 reviews = well, some 69in'. Or something like that. I'm not awake enough to form coherent sentences. **

**This chapter would have been totally Ciel and Sebastian, 'cept Claude had to troll his way into the first line. Bastard. **

**Unbeta'd again, because my beta doesn't love me. Pardon any tense errors.**

**Edit: Thanks Carrie2sky for pointing out some of my mistakes :)**

**Soooo C2s and I have discovered that I've been spelling Claudes name wrong this whole time.**

**He was totally trolling me.**

**Faustice = no.**

**Faustus = yes.**

**I'll be working on fixing those errors. Stupid Claude troll...**

"Phantomhive-"

"I'll stay tomorrow, I've got business to attend to. Goodbye Mr. Faustus." Ciel says as he walks out of the room with the rest of the class, leaving no room for argument. The man may have the power to keep the boy—to a degree—for senseless reasons, but Ciel would be damned (ha) if he gave the creep priority on his schedule.

Speaking of schedules, Ciel had study hall instead of home ec. today, meaning he can do some investigating on his butler turned teacher. He makes a quick stop at his locker to rid himself of his deadweight before heading to study hall to inform the monitor—who happens to be the home economics teacher, Bard—of his destination. Not that the man would do anything if he simply didn't show up. Ciel had always been one for formalities.

Two minutes later Ciel was on his way to the arts and music section of the building, under the guise of getting help with a homework assignment from Mr. Michaelis. Typically the investigation of an individual would not involve the person in question, but the teen sees no point in going to other sources when the subject is incapable of lying to him.

When he arrives at Sebastians classroom it is nearly void of life. A few younger—zombie like—students are spaced throughout the classroom, hunched over desks with what must have been some evaluation quiz, as Ciel assumes from their mortified expressions.

His butler is not in the least bit surprised to see the boy in his classroom, in fact he had expected it and had prepared tea. What he had not foreseen, however, was the frustration emanating from the teens body, rolling off him in waves. Ciel makes a bee line to the teachers desk, not even noticing that the man is pouring steaming liquid.

"Good afternoon Mr. Phantomhive, here for that assignment I see." Sebastian says casually, pulling a chair up to the front of his desk and sliding one of the china cups across the table. Ciel accepts the seat without hesitation and picks up the tea cup in front of him with an appreciative glance. The ravenette is somewhat surprised by Ciels thankfulness but continues about his business, digging through a desk drawer and retrieving a test paper. The man sets the paper on the desk in front of him, writing something on its surface before pushing it across the table to the boy. Ciel examines his butlers elegant scrawl as he sips his tea.

_'To what do I owe this visit?' _The teen glances at the other students in the room, and is quick to decide that they are too utterly consumed with panic and concentration to be suspicious of the pairs behavior to any degree. He pulls a pen from his pocket and writes.

_'Simply making sure you haven't devoured any of my classmates. I see you've satisfied yourself with simply torturing them.'_ Sebastian takes the paper, his lips curling into the ghost of a smile as he reads his masters explanation, a hushed chuckle escapes his throat.

_'Are you disappointed?'_

_'No, quite amused actually. I've had to deal with your torment for years, watching others struggle with it is quite refreshing.' _At this the demon laughs outright—well as outright as Sebastian laughs.

_'You're quite the little demon yourself, young master.'_ And Ciel accepts this statement with a nod and a sip of tea. Sebastian takes back the sheet._ 'What had your so irritated earlier?' _Ciel scowls, debating his response for a moment before taking his pen to the paper.

_'Various things, Trancy and Elizabeth's idiocy, but mainly that bastard Claude Faustus.'_

_'The math teacher?' _

_'Yes, he refused to accept the way my assignments were done and has given me mandatory stay for the week, excluding today.'_ Ciel finds Sebastians reaction to this news surprising, the demons expression twisting from disbelief to irritation.

_'That's utter nonsense, those assignments were perfect. Is he daft?'_

_'Probably, though I think it's mainly because he wants to molest me.'_

_'Ciel, not everyone wants to molest you.'_ At this the teen looks up at the teacher skeptically, eye booring and eyebrow arched. Sebastian takes the paper back. _'Okay, so there are a __lot__ of people who want to molest you. I'm sure anyone employed as a teacher has some degree of professionalism that would prevent them from going for you on school grounds. I doubt Mr. Faustus will try anything during these after school sessions.' _Ciels skeptical look returns with more force as he reclines in his seat, crossing his arms. The demon retrieves the paper again. _'It can't be that bad.'_

_'Tomorrow I want you to observe our post-class session. Don't let him know you're there.'_

_'If you insist.'_

_'I do.' _There's a moment of silence before Sebastians pen hits the paper again.

_'Why are you not staying today?'_

_'I told him I couldn't and left. We have work to do—people to find, people to punish. My schedule is busy, I'm not bending it to that creeps will.'_ A positively animalistic grin splits the teachers face, Ciel takes the paper back. _'Don't let my attitude excite you too much, we're in public and it would be hard to explain to your class why you have to go clean your pants after I leave.' _The demon chuckles deviously, writing without hesitation.

_'If you would stop being so sinfully delicious we wouldn't have this problem.'_ Ciel can't stop the red from spreading from his cheeks up to his ears. Sebastians grin morphed into that of smug victory.

**Remember, 69 reviews~ **

**I've already started writing the chapter. **

**On my cellphone.**

**In school.**

**Making a perv face the entire time.**

**I don't know why people talk to me, really I don't.**


	12. Monsters in the Bathroom

**This chapter's really short. I hope you still love me.**

**I'm totally going to blame the length (or lack there of) on writing the smutshot at the same time.**

**In other news, I totally smashed my beta's face into a cake yesterday.**

**It was her initiation into adulthood. Cuz she's old now.**

**Speaking of betas, this chapter hasn't been checked out yet.**

The rest of Ciel's classes pass without event, though they wouldn't have had the teen not been skilled at ignoring idiocy. Throughout all of Ciel's seventh period government class Liz and Alois persist in making obscene faces and hand gestures whenever Mr. Spears is looking away. The duos shenanigans continue through gym class, neither of them cutting any corners in being lewd at every chance they get. Ciel remains unphased through the expanse of the teasing, having unfortunately grown accustomed to the pairs antics.

When gym class is finally dismissed the masses swarm to their designated locker rooms. It is at this point—the point at which Alois insists on making unconcealed efforts at inspecting Ciels torso for hickeys—that the teen finally snaps.

"Argh! What the hell is your problem?" the bluenette roars, swatting the blonds intrusive hands from his bare shoulders and turning his red face from Alois' curious gaze. Ciel grabs his shirt from his locker, slams it shut, and storms out of the room with a huff of "Bloody hell!"

After a moment of rampaging through the empty halls and cursing under his breath in all of his raging shirtless glory, the teen recalls that he has a number of scars—brands—on his torso that he would quite like to keep hidden. Just as the dismissal bell sounds the teen slips into a restroom, quickly locking himself in a stall and taking a calming breath.

It occurs to him then, that his blond friend had likely noticed the remaining damage from last weeks, well, adventures. This knowledge however, didn't bother the teen as much as it could have. That was one thing about Alois Trancy—he had seen all of Ciels scars, watched new ones appear over time, but never questioned him on it. In fact, the blond had long ago noticed Ciel's awkward behavior about exposing his skin in public, such as in the locker room, and had taken up the habit of scaring witnesses away.

Though the action was a tad embarassing—considering that Alois' method was making every male in their gym class believe that coming within fifteen feet of the blond would end with them being molested—Ciel couldn't help but find the thought somewhat endearing, and was undeniably thankful for the assistance. The taller boy had spent a good portion of his pre and post gym periods traumatizing and tormenting their fellow gym-mates over the past few years, and had secured himself and Ciel their own private section of the locker room.

The bluenette recalls all of this as he slips on his top and heaves another sigh. Perhaps he should throw Alois a bone. Ciel exits the stall just as the restroom door pushes open. The teen doesn't bother taking note of who—Claude Faustus—makes their way into the room.

In fact, Ciel only realizes the teachers presence as he's pushed back into his stall and pinned to the wall.

"Bloody fucking hell! What-"

"Mr. Phantomhive, I've finally caught you." Faustus says with a frustrated sigh, pushing fully against the trapped boy.

"What the fuck to you want from me Faustus?" the teen growls, shoving the teacher back a few inches only to have his wrists pinned to the faux wood at his back as well.

"It's rude to set and ultimatum and simply leave, Mr. Phantomhive. You forget that I am in charge here. If I tell you to stay, you stay." Faustus breathes into the boys ear, still managing to sound dreadfully monotone. Anger rolls off of Ciel in waves, his contracted eye tingling with hate.

"Fuck you!" the teen spits out, "I have higher priorities than being forced to learn something I already know, now get the hell off me before I report your ass!" Ciel struggles against the older man, flailing his trapped legs in an attempt to actually cause damage. The stall door suddenly swings open, a pale hand—black nails—shooting forward and wrapping around the teachers neck. Yellow eyes meet red as Claude slams against the other wall, fully separating from the student with a strangled huff. The strong arm of Ciel's demon wraps around the teens shoulders, pulling him face first into his black-clad chest.

"Do. Not. _Touch_ him." Sebastian snarls, tone bordering on something inhuman as his fingers tighten around the other teachers throat. Ciels breath hitches at Sebastians voice and he shivers, fingers curling into the demons shirt as he pulls himself further into Sebastians chest. Claude vainly struggles against the new teachers grasp, and finds that he still cannot breath after Sebastian removes his grip and pulls Ciel and himself out of the stall. The demon spins the boy around and quickly leads him out of the room. Ciel is surprised to find an empty feeling in his chest in the absence of the mans scent, but is unexplainably comforted when the demon doesn't remove his hands from the boys shoulders.

**Come onnnnn, 69 69 69~!**


	13. Porcelain Boy

**Welcome to the legitimate chapter 13! Yay! I can take down that troll-tastic fake chapter! In case anyone doesn't know what the troll-tastic fake chapter was for, I wrote a smutshot side fic called "Musical Sex." It's on my profile. Go read it for some lemony goodness. Mmmm lemon. I didn't get as far in this chapter as I was hoping to, but I'm satisfied with it. Enjoy!**

Sebastian ushers the still shaking boy out of the building in silence, avoiding other teacher and students—successfully shying away from security cameras as they make their way through the parking lot. The teacher leads the boy into the passengers seat of his shiny black sedan, and only in the confines of the vehicle does Ciel still his trembling. Sebastian slides into the drivers seat, the anger of his aura filling the cavernous car. The demon takes a moment to run his fingers through his hair before starting the car and turning the heat on to chase out the autumn chill.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" the man asks, still glaring out the window.

"I-"

"I swear to Satan if there's a single mark on your flesh I'll end him."

"Well if you would calm the fuck down and let me speak perhaps you would find out." Ciel snaps, not liking the taste of being interrupted whatsoever. The demon gazes back at the boy silently, lips curling down at one side as he waits for the teen to continue. "To answer your question, I'm honestly not sure. I've received so many bruises in the past week I can't tell if the aching is from old wounds or new ones."

"Were you aching before hand?"

"A bit. The jostling didn't help."

"I'll kill him." Sebastian growls, turning back to the windshield and throwing the car in reverse. Ciel lets out an exasperated sigh as his butler peels out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell. The teacher glances at the boy, raising a frustrated eyebrow. "Why are you defending him? You've already expressed your distaste for the man."

"As much as I would love to watch you tear the bastard limb from limb, we have more important things to attend to. I would rather you focus your anger at last weeks captors and that _thing_." the teen explains, gesturing to the mans pocket.

"The blindfold?"

"Of course, what else would I be referring to?"

"My anatomy." the demon offers, straight faced. Ciel snorts.

"Bloody pervert!"

"You don't seem to mind it." Sebastian points out.

"I suppose I don't." the teen shrugs, composing himself as the car winds down the driveway to his townhouse. The vehicle pulls to a stop and before the boy can even reach for his seat belt his door is tugged open and his butler is looming over him. Long fingers wrap around the bottom of his shirt and tug it over the teens head before a protest can even be uttered. "What-"

"I'm checking for additional injuries." Sebastian states as his hands run up Ciels torso then settle on his arms, just below where Claude had grabbed him.

"Well h-hurry up, it's bloody cold out." the teen stutters, turning his reddened face to the suddenly interesting head rest. Sebastian slides on hand around the boys twisted form and clicks the seat belt, removing the straps from his master gently. In one fluid motion the demon pulls Ciel from the vehicle, wrapping the teens legs around his waist and supporting him with one arm, shirt in hand.

"Sebastian."

"Yes, my lord?"

"What the bloody hell are you doing?"

"Bringing you inside to prepare for tonight's investigation." the butler explains, grabbing the teens backpack and heading towards the townhouse.

"Oh." and Ciel has nothing more to say. The teen settles his chin on the demons shoulder and casually curls his fingers into the mans shirt as a shiver ripples through his exposed flesh. Sebastian conceals his surprise at Ciels behavior, having been expecting a blunt rejection from the small body in his arms. The walk to the front door is short lived, but the demon does not set the boy down until they reach the teens room, where the human-doll is lowered onto the edge of his bed.

"Would you like something to eat, my lord?" Sebastian inquires as he pulls an outfit from the closet—a warmer get up, more suitable for their outdoor excursion.

"Quite." Ciel says briskly, taking the clothing from the man and excusing him from the room. This time the teen dresses without any qualms regarding the attire. He finishes just as Sebastian enters with a cart of food.

"Where do you wish to start this evening? An investigation through old records perhaps?" Sebastian asks as he hands his master an elaborate chicken dish. The boys gaze flicks up to meet the demons.

"I want you to take me back to that place," Ciel says simply, sapphire eyes boring into ruby. "We will tear that building apart, dissect it for information, and destroy everything. By morning there will be nothing left of that place, no trace of it's existence whatsoever. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my lord."


	14. This Game Has No Winner or Loser

**Pardon me for my tardiness dearies, this chapter proved to be quite long.**

**Took a while to write.**

**Enjoy!**

x—x—x—x

By the time the pair slides back into the sleek black vehicle the sun has already lost it's battle of clinging to the horizon and night has already smothered it down without mercy. The headlights cut through the darkness as the engine purrs to life, the vehicle swinging around and heading down the smooth drive with purpose.

About twenty-five minutes pass before the car finds it's way onto the rough hidden road to the abandoned building turned base. Ciel's demeanor is alarmingly calm. Sebastian doesn't want to take his eyes off of the boy—he is waiting. Waiting for the teen to snap, to crumble, to fall. No human can return to such a place—the scene of the crime—without being bothered in the slightest.

The mere image of Ciel caving to his emotions excites the demon. Oh yes, he knows that the teens unnatural ability to stay composed through all things horrible is a main ingredient in the flavor of the boys soul—but the man also knows that tears serve as an excellent seasoning. Sebastian is waiting for the boy to break, purely to witness the seasoning of this meal—his meal. Or so he tells himself as they hide the vehicle and make their way to the entrance of the base.

The demon deals with the two measly guards without taking his eyes from the teen, his stormy expression leaving an unfamiliar feeling bubbling through Sebastians stomach. He has to smother down the sudden urge to flee—to usher Ciel back to the car and bring him as far away as possible. This is totally irrational. Why are these thoughts even crossing his mind? It's counter productive to the development of Ciel's flavor, his soul.

The man catches his hand mid-reach to Ciel's back, withdraws it, cradles the disobedient appendage to his chest in restraint for a moment. They pass through the threshold, into the entryway—the artificial yellow glow of the sparse indoor lighting washing away the kiss of moonlight on flesh as the door clicks behind them. Sebastian notices that Ciel moves closer to him as they plunge into the deeper levels of the underground establishment—though his face never changes. The pair meets little resistance for about three floors, only having to pause to kill two or three guards. It's on the stairway to the forth level that Ciel grabs Sebastians sleeve, drawing him to a halt.

"You haven't asked any of the guards where their leader is. Why?"

"I had assumed that the young master would first want vengeance on the man who violated your body in such a manner," Ciel cringes at the word, then realizes that his butler must have known about _that_ all along. Why had he not mentioned it? "Am I mistaken?"

"No, this is fine." the teen mumbles, looping his arm through his butlers, much to the mans surprise. "You know where they are?"

"Him. I killed off all but one from that group. And yes, I memorized his scent." the demon explains has he leads his petite ward down the stairwell. The teen snorts halfheartedly.

"Why leave one?"

"I figured you would want to pleasure of watching him die, my lord."

"So considerate." the teen chuckles darkly as they turn to a steel door at the end of the stairway. Sebastian pushes it open silently, exposing another sparsely lit hallway lined with doors. The man tilts his head up as they fully enter the hall, crinkling his nose. He grabs hold of Ciel's arm and leads him to the third door down. The teens eyes travel to the base of the door, oozing a yellow light and muffled sounds of festivities.

"He's in here. What would you like me to do?" Sebastian asks, his grip on Ciel tightening slightly. The teen looks up at him, blue eye somehow luminous in their dim surroundings.

"Do as you please, but I want to kill our target."

"Yes, my lord."

Sebastian opens the door in silence, the pair casually entering the room and going totally unnoticed by it's inhabitants. Five men sit around a card table playing poker under a single hanging light. One seat is empty. Ciel sticks his hand out in front of his butler, stopping him in his tracks. Ciel eyes the man at the far right—whose booming voice sends a chill of recognition down the teens spine—then shifts his gaze to the vacant seat directly opposite the man.

"Let's play a game with them." Ciel whispers to his partner, though his face shows no amusement, even as he strolls over an nonchalantly takes a seat.

"It's about time ya got back Jim-" his neighbor begins, stopping when he looks at the new arrival. His break in speech causes the rest of the group to look up from their cards. Ciel picks up the face-down hand in front of him without looking at the men surrounding him.

"Who the bloody hell-"

"Fuck, you're that brat that busted out last week!" the teens target says, standing and sending his folding chair clattering to the ground. Ciel looks up, blazing eye meeting his targets alarmed gaze as the man fumbles to pull out his gun.

"Sit." the teen orders, voice absolute. The panicked blabbering of the group ceases, simmers down to a silent confusion. The man rights his chair and sits, never tearing his eyes from the boys. "Who do you work for?" Ciel questions, returning his gaze to his cards and rearranging his hand. Silence fills the room to the brim. The boy nods his head at the man sitting to his right.

The _thunk_ of the silver knife imbedding itself in the mans forehead resonates through the room. The panic comes to a boil again, the remaining four looking for Ciel's assistant frantically, recoiling from the table. The gangly brunette next to the target pulls out a radio and brings it to his lips—_thunk_. He falls forward onto the table, scattering cards across the cement floor—the knife protruding from the base of his skull. The target makes a grab for the radio in the dead mans hand, Ciel makes a grab for his gun. By the time the man straightens his gaze is met with the metal eye of Ciel's barretta.

"_Who do you work for?_" the teen hisses, only to be grabbed by one of the remaining men, his gun knocked across the room. _Thunk—_his assailant collapses and Ciel makes a dash for his discarded weapon. His target leaps over the table, grabs hold of him from behind, and presses the cold steel of his own gun to the boys temple.

"You with the knives! Show yourself!" the man barks, twisting Ciel's arms behind his back and slamming his face against the card table. As Sebastian emerges from the shadows the remaining man makes a bolt for the door. The butler flicks two knives at his retreating form, but only manages to remove two of his fingers as he slips from the room.

"_Shit._" the demon spits, gaze turning back to his masters form pressed to the table then traveling to the man hovering over him and digging his handgun into the boys scalp.

"So _you're_ the one who killed all my mates last week rescuing the little princess, eh?" the man says, raising his weapon to Sebastian but still hovering unnecessarily close to the teen. Ciel hooks his foot around the man's leg and kicks it out from under him. He wobbles, but regrettably doesn't let off the boy. The butt of his gun makes a swift collision with the teens head in retaliation. He returns his aim to Sebastian. "You think you can just waltz back in here, fuck shit up and leave? I do have to thank you though, for bringing the lad back. Saves me the hassle of tracking the little bastard down. Too bad you won't be around to see what we have in store for him." The man says smugly and promptly unloads three bullets into the butlers chest. Sebastian falters at the impact, and much to his assailant's surprise—vanishes.

"Young master, I must apologize for being unable to follow your orders to a tee, but I'm afraid we cannot afford to drag this out any longer." Sebastian states, breath puffing against the back of the mans ear as he brings a knife to his throat.

"Wait-!" crimson sprays across Ciel's back with the flick of the butlers wrist. The demon tears the body away from his ward and gathers the semi-conscious boy in his arms. The sounds of boots thrum down the hall in a mass. Sebastian pats the teens face in an attempt to bring him further into conciousness.

"Do you still wish for me to gather information?" the demon inquires as Ciel curls deeper into his butlers chest. Sebastians fingers wrap around the boys chin, turning his face into view. His eyes are closed, but moisture pools in their corners—spilling over and mingling with the steams of blood seeping from his head wound. Ciel turns into the hand, mumbling nearly incomprehensible versions of Sebastians name—and finally:

"_Home._"


	15. Bad Patient

**Again, sorry for the delay. I'm going to blame it on having to come up with something to do for 100 reviews. (SO CLOSE!) I'll let you know my plan at the end of the chapter.**

**This chapter's kinda boring—I'm apologizing ahead of time.**

Sebastian pushes open the door to the master bedroom with his elbow, the rest of his arms preoccupied with his stirring ward. How is it that the man always ends up carrying the boy? The butler has asked himself this on a number of occasions, but has never once managed to feel irritated with the event. Of course, he wouldn't admit to himself that he actually liked the feel of the teen in his grasp—though it was something that was becoming more and more unavoidable as of late.

The demon brings the boy to his adjoined bathroom, cleans his head wound and has his night clothes laid out in under five minutes. Ciel had been steadily coming back to his senses since the car ride back, and is now visibly turning over the nights events in his mind—despite the throbbing of his skull. His legs dangle off the side of his bed, toes barely brushing the carpet as his eyes burn a hole in the floor. The teen snaps from his thoughts when a teacup is brought into his direct line of sight.

"I brought you painkillers, they'll help you sleep." the demon says quietly, the teens eyes traveling from the lengthy fingers around the cup up to averted burning eyes.

"Why aren't you looking at me?" Ciel questions casually, lifting the cup from the mans grasp but turning down the medicine. His eyes scan every plane of Sebastians face as he awaits an answer.

"I have shamed you by not fulfilling your order in its entirety, young master. You should reconsider taking the medication, I doubt you'll sleep at all without it." the butler says, casting what was meant to be a fleeting glance in the boys direction—but their eyes catch. There's a moment of silence as the younger sips his tea.

"Sit." the boy orders, the bed immediately dips next to him. He takes another sip from the cup. "Sebastian, I'm just as much at fault here as you are. Am I angry, frustrated? Yes—at myself. It was my folly that ruined things. I'm no longer a child, I shouldn't rely on you—place blame on you—as a child would, particularly for things such as this." Ciel explains, brows scrunching together. He turns to face his butler and find that the man is already staring intently at him. Sebastians expression goes from surprise to irritation. "_What?_" the teen growls, annoyed that the man has absolutely any issues with his speech.

"That's simply not allowable." the demon says with a shake of his head.

"Don't tell me that you're actually upset because I'm actually taking my share of fault." the boy scoffs, setting his tea on the nightstand with a _clink_, standing and removing his bloodied jacket.

"Oh no, that's long overdue," Sebastian assures. Ciel rolls his eyes as he unbuttons his shirt and drops it to the floor—much to the demons excitement. "I simply cannot allow you to stop relying on me." He says, eying the stripping boy shamelessly. "It would make me a horrid butler." he concludes, watching the teen try to slip his oversized pajama shirt over his head. The wince that crosses Ciels face doesn't go unnoticed by the butler, who promptly stands and eases the head hole over the boys wound. The boy looks at him skeptically as soon as his face is exposed.

"Don't worry, there are many other things only you can do." Ciel says, shuffling out of his pants and slipping on a pair of sleep shorts. Sebastian hums in agreement, gathering the teens discarded clothing and placing them in the hamper. Upon finishing his task, the demon finds his ward settling tiredly back down on the mattress.

"Are you sure you don't want the medication?" Sebastian asks as he approaches the boy.

"Quite. You know I don't like drugs." Ciel grumbles, turning away from his manservant and securing the blanket around his shoulders.

"I'll leave it on the nightstand for you just in case." Sebastian says. The teen grunts in acknowledgment as his butler opens the door to leave. "Goodnight Ciel."

"Goodnight."

When the sleek black car pulls up to the front gates of the school, Sebastian literally has to shake his teenage ward into consciousness. Ciel groans in irritation as the gloved hand jostling his shoulder.

"Young master, you must get out. Loitering here increases the chance of the car being recognized."

"But I'm _tired_." the teen whines, glaring at his driver.

"I told you you should have taken that medication." Sebastian says, pulling his hand away and tapping his finger on the steering wheel.

"Shut up." Ciel growls, curling further into the seat, "Just let me sleep in the car, I'll go in when I'm ready."

"If the young master insists." the butler sighs, pulling the car away from the gate of the school and into the back parking lot. Sebastian reaches into the back seat as soon as the car pulls to a stop in it's parking spot, grabbing a long black leather trench coat. "No one should be able to see you through the tinted windows, but this should make you blend into the upholstery." the demon says, spreading the jacket over the teen like a blanket. "I'll come and get you during lunch." and without a sound the man is gone, form retreating into the building a second later.

Ciel's fingers wrap around the jacket, bringing the collar to his face and falling asleep to the blended scent of leather and cinnamon.

**Okay, so here's the plan:**

**Because I love you guys so much (and certainly not because I'm too lazy to come up with something on my own...) I'm going to let you guys come up with a scenario for a future chapter/ark. So when you review this chapter, tell me what you'd like to see in the future—some where you would like them to go, a ridiculous situation to force them into—whatever floats your boat. You can give me as many suggestions as you want, feel free to message me if you use up your review!**


	16. Too Big

For the first time since watching Sebastians retreating back Ciels eyes flutter open, consciousness ushered in by a gentle touch to the forehead.

"Rise and shine young master, I've brought you lunch."

"Mmm..." the teen groans, hitting the lever on the side of the seat and propping it upright. The jacket pools at his waist as he takes the 'meager lunch' (eight layers of sandwich wedged between two slices of gourmet bread) that his butler presented to him. Ciel raises a semi-conscious eyebrow at the food parcel. "You expect me to fit my mouth around this thing?"

"Oh I'm sure you can manage." * Sebastian assures with a devious smirk. The teen rolls his eyes and—after a proper squishing—manages to get part of the sandwich in his mouth.

"Did I miss anything of importance in class?" Ciel asks after swallowing, rotating the food in his hands.

"I'm appalled, everything in my class is of importance." the demon says with mock hurt. "But aside from a brief history in flutes and the hopeless failing of your peers, you didn't miss much."

"Good." the teen says with a nod, eying the apple on the dashboard and wrapping the remaining half of his sandwich in its plastic wrap. Plucking the fruit from its home, the boy shines it with his shirt and brings it to his mouth. The skin splits against his teeth with a light _crack_. He notes Sebastians eyes on him, but continues ravishing the apple.

"Young master."

"Yes?"

"Never do that in front of a death god."

"Why?"

"It would excite them too much and I don't wish to clean up the mess."

"Oh."

"I suggest you head for the building shortly, lunch will be over in ten minutes." the butler says with a glance at his pocket watch. Ciel had long ago insisted on getting him a more modern wrist watch, but the man had flat out refused. After a number of failed attempts at persuasion, the teen had given up. Now the teen supposed it looked a tad classier then its strapped counterpart.

Holding the apple in his mouth Ciel pushed open the car door, throwing the jacket over his shoulders as he exits the vehicle. He casts Sebastian a little backwards wave as he enters the building and makes his way to the office to sign in.

A few minutes later the teen crosses the threshold of the cafeteria, still having a good five minutes to kill—there was no chance of him going to class early, not to Faustus's.

Alois spots him from across the room and promptly throws his arms in the air in a full upper body wave. Ciel begrudgingly makes his way to the table.

"Where have you been?" the blond whines and flops his torso across the table, arms stretched out in front of him.

"Home sleeping." the bluenette says as he pulls out the chair opposite his psychotic interrogator and sits down.

"Rough night?" Lizzy guesses from her seat next to Alois. Ciel nods.

"Nazi butler actually let you sleep? It must have been something ridiculous!" Alois exclaims, gesticulating wildly.

"There's only one explanation for this." Lizzy says gravely, casting a serious look to her blond counterpart, who returns the gesture briefly before sending a speculative glance to Ciel.

"You had wild sex with your butler last night," Alois begins-

"And he felt bad for wearing you out and let you sleep." Lizzy concludes. Ciel promptly introduces his forehead to the table.

"We'll take that as a yes." Alois says, straightening his posture.

"I do hope your butler's sexy." Lizzy says, lips in a hard line. The other blond nods in agreement.

"Whatever tickles your fancy." Ciel groans.

"Be careful, you might hurt Mr. Michaelis' feelings, having an affair with your butler and all!" Alois teases, waggling a finger. A haunting chuckle slips from the bluenettes lips, the manic laughter taking both blonds by surprise. The dismissal bell sounds and Ciel rushes from the cafeteria, leaving the pair both disturbed and wondering.

If Ciel were to say that seeing Mr. Faustus again wasn't going to put him on edge, it would be a blatant lie. The teen resembles a trapped animal in his seat, watching the clock relentlessly. The class creeps by almost _too_ normally. Ciel was expecting changes after yesterdays incident in the bathroom, but the teacher doesn't acknowledge any change, doesn't treat him any differently, doesn't take note of his ridged behavior.

A deadly flicker of hope erupts in Ciel. Perhaps Faustus learned his lesson, perhaps he had finally lost interest in him...

He would find out for sure during today's mandatory make up lesson.

The rest of the day trudges on as any other, the final dismissal bell painting a scowl on Ciels face. Alois casts the boy—now stomping out of the classroom—a curious glance. The retreating teen notices the look but doesn't bother to answer the blonds unspoken question.

Ciel hesitates outside of Faustus' door, taking a deep breath before pushing down the metal handle and entering the room.

"I'm pleased you decided to show up Mr. Phantomhive." the teachers chilling voice seeps through the classroom from his position at the board.

"I would rather not get an unnecessary detention." Ciel says flatly, dropping his books on a desk with a _bang_. "Page 546?" the teen asks in lieu of the teachers unnerving silence. Ciel refuses to look up at the man and see what he's doing—perhaps a foolish action on his part. The click of the door locking echos through the room.

Ciel hears the _thump_ of his back hitting the wall next to the door before he actually feels it. His eyes regrettably focus on Faustus' face—which has upgraded from uncomfortably close to 'I can see every pore on your face' close.

"_I've finally captured you in my web Mr. Phantomhive." _Faustus breaths into Ciels ear, lips brushing the teens jaw as the mans grip on his forearms begins to restrict circulation. As Ciel begins to thrash he catches the fleeting movement of a falling black feather outside the window.

**You guys. I didn't get ANY suggestions for the 100 review thing AT ALL last chapter.**

**Actually, I only got 2 reviews. **

**So thank you Horror-Otakuu and SeafoamMist! Have some internet cupcakes.**

**Everyone else is in the doghouse. **

**THAT'S RIGHT, NO CUPCAKES FOR YOU UNTIL YOU GO BACK AND PUT YOUR TWO CENTS IN.**

**I hope cupcakes are good motivation.**

**I'm not feelin' the love, come onnnnnnn!~ t(Q A Qt)**

**Oh, and that * you're wondering about? My beta trolled my notebook and wrote**

"_**He smirks, thinking of something a bit bigger the teen could put in that delicate mouth—trololo~"**_

**She's not a steady beta, but she IS a steady troll. **


	17. Taste

**EDIT:** I made things a bit more juicer c:

Claude: TROLOLOL *GROPE GROPE*  
>Ciel: *RAGEFACE* GETOFFME U WANKER U<br>Sebastian: *bursts through window like fucking Batman* UNHAND MY SHOTA YOU FIEND! *bitchslaps*  
>Claude: ALAS! I HAVE BEEN DEFEATED! t(Q A Qt)<br>Ciel: OH SEBASTIAN!~ YOU SEXY BASTARD! *make out session*

LE END.

I'm kidding! :D Put down your torches and pitchforks.

GrimmVertigo and I were like "TROLL ALL THE READERS!"

True story.

Those of you who reviewed before the actual chapter was up, if you have something to say after reading, feel free to message me! I want to hear from youuuu!

And now for the legitimate Chapter Seventeen!

Lizzy grinds her teeth into the plastic straw between her lips, the obnoxious gaggle of her posse barely registering in her head.

"That skank!" Alexia, a short brunette of a girl—also a Senior—hisses and recoils as if she smells something foul.

"I know right? What kind of person is into that kind of shit?" Jem grimaces, flipping her short black hair behind her heavily pierced ear as a shutter racks through her tall, stick-like body.

"Wait, what's going on?" Lizzy chirps from her position against the wall, finally pulling the mangled straw from her mouth.

"Some Sophomore skank us trying to lay every guy in the building, taken or not. She's got a checklist and everything! Some say she's going after teachers too!" Jem says, crinkling her nose in disgust. Lizzies attention, however, is torn away halfway through the explanation, having caught sight of a certain clearly disturbed short-clad blond walking briskly in her direction. The blond girl knits her eyebrows together.

"Alois! What's going on?" She asks as the male enters the sphere of the group, something that visibly put the other two girls on edge.

"It's Ciel. I think something bad's happening..." he says, quick and hushed. The two girls each raise an eyebrow as Lizzies face twists with concern.

"Where is he? What's happening?" She says, smothering down her panic in an attempt to go about this as quickly and efficiently as possible.

"Well he left 8th period all pissy so I trailed him to figure out what was wrong and he went into Claudes room—probably for the work he missed last week—but the door locked and I heard a slam and I wouldn't put it past Claude to do something not very good..." Alois says, the words spewing from his mouth in one panicked breath. Lizzy doesn't give the boy time to inhale before she's dragging him down the hall by the wrist in a bee-line to the math room.

XxXxX

Claudes fingers wrap into Ciels hair and the teen yelps as the man uses the grip as leverage to turn to the boy until his face is pressed to the hard plaster of the wall he now faces. Ciel hisses as the hand untangles from his locks and slides down his torso.

"Get your fucking hands off me!" the teen growls, struggling against the large hand pinning his wrists above his head. Ciel turns to glare at the teacher as his hand slips under the boys shirt. "I swear if you don't stop right now I'll scream _so_ loud—"

"Then I'll have to keep that mouth occupied." Faustus says predatorily, capturing the teens lips viciously, teeth digging into the soft flesh. Ciel recoils—the coppery taste of his own blood pooling slowly on his tongue—but is trapped again as the man uses his body to press the teen flat against the wall.

"Son of a—" Ciels words are smothered out by the mans lips again as Faustus creeps his free hand up the students body from his hip to the back of his head, where he unravels the knot of Ciels eyepatch and discards the piece of fabric. The teen promptly squeezes his eyes shut.

"What are you doing? Stop!" the boy writhes further into the wall in an attempt to put distance between them. Faustus flips him over again so they're chest to chest.

"I want to see..." he coos, fluttering his thumb over Ciels eyelid.

XxXxX

Lizzy and Alois round the corner to the hallway of their destination—last door on the right, about twenty yards down. The two catch sight of a black figure as it reaches the door of the math room.

XxXxX

Ciel opens both eyes, gaze directed at the door. Faustus gasps at the pentacle as the teen opens his mouth.

"Sebastian!"

XxXxX

The demon promptly rips the handle out of the door with a loud _crack!_ The noise echos down the hall to Lizzy and Alois, who send each other surprised glances and further pick up the pace.

Sebastian has his hands around Claudes neck—for the second time—before the math teacher can register what's going on.

"This _will_ have consequences." the demon hisses into his ear before ripping the man from his ward, causing him to crash into the side of his desk and effectively cracking a rib or two. Sebastian retrieves the eye patch from the floor and approaches the teen—whose knees immediately give out. The demon catches the boy, gathering his dainty form in his arms and hoisting him off the ground. Ciel buries his face into Sebastians shoulder, throwing his bruised arms around his neck as the older man carries him through the broken door.

The two blonds nearly collide with Mr. Michaelis and cargo as they exit the room—though the teens go completely unnoticed by the pair. Alois opens his mouth to call out to his trembling friend who is quickly disappearing down the hallway, only to have his mouth covered by Lizzies hand.

"Don't interrupt them, he'll be fine." she says, letting her hand drop and turning her attention from the music teacher to the broken entrance to the classroom. Alois' face twists with a mix of emotion as he peers through the shattered door at Ciel's pile of books on the closest desk. He walks through the threshold of the room before Lizzy can stop him, standing just inside. Claude catches sight of him as he stands from his hunched position on the floor near the teachers desk—the blonds face is contorted with both disgust and sorrow. The man feels a pang of self hatred—the teens expression unexpectedly causing a pain in his chest greater than that of his ribs. The feeling persists even after Alois is pulled from the room, his expression imprinted in the teachers mind.

XxXxX

Sebastian looks utterly furious as he sets Ciel in the passengers seat of his car. The teen expects the man to untangle his grasp on the demon—his arms still tightly wound around his neck. When the demon doesn't the boy is, to say the least, surprised. Even more so when he takes in Sebastians expression. Ciels eyebrows knit together with concern.

"Your lips." The demon says, expression cemented in frustration and anger.

"What?"

"They're bleeding." he growls, clutching the boys chin. "Can you taste him still? That swine of a man?" but Ciel doesn't get to answer before another pair of vicious lips seal off his mouth. The teens eyes are wide as he takes in the angry kiss—soft yet hot with emotion and ferocity—without resistance, frozen in place with momentary shock. Ciel is quick to decide that though Sebastians kiss is just as savage—lip brusing and intense—it's not comparable to his experience mere moments ago. Sebastian is forceful, yet gentle in the way he holds Ciels face—cupping him with both hands, thumbs unconsciously rubbing the smallest of circles in the boys pale skin—and in the way their lips press and mold together, the smell of cinnamon hits the teen in a wave. The demons possessiveness shoots through the boys body like lightning—a pulsating and _living_ feeling that makes Ciel gasp, allowing Sebastian to run his tongue over the cuts on the teens inner lip—the movement is quick but feels dragged out through the fog of adrenaline surging through Ciels brain. The teen shivers at the contact and inhales breathlessly as the demon pulls away, swiping his thumb across the teens parted lips.

"What was... that for?" Ciel breathes out as oxygen floods to his brain. Sebastian turns the boy forward in his heat and pulls the seat belt across his heaving chest.

"Getting his taste out of your mouth." Sebastian says simply, closing the car door.


	18. Long Walks on the Beach

**Hey, I'm not dead! :D Sorry about the delay, I was stricken with Senioritis and was like "fuckthisshit!" with everything for the past two weeks. Anyway, here's an extra long chapter to make up for my laziness. **

**Review for Sebastians brownies!**

The ride home is silent and awkward—at least for the boy—and agonizingly long. Upon arriving at the townhouse Ciel rushes into the building ahead of his butler, barely waiting for the car to actually come to a stop. The teen is greeted by the obnoxious beep of his answering machine as soon as he crosses the threshold of the house. Sebastian enters the house, Ciel's forgotten stuff in hand, as the boy hits the play button on the recorder.

"Good evening, this is Principal Willis." the businesslike voice of the elderly man rises from the speaker, "I've regrettably been informed of an incident involving Mr. Ciel Phantomhive and one of our teachers. It would be greatly appreciated if—upon hearing this message—Ciel and his legal guardian report to my office to resolve this issue. I'll be here until five, if you cannot make it, please call me at..." Sebastian jots down the number as the message concludes with a beep, making eye contact with Ciel as he sets the pen down.

"Well, what do you want to do?" the demon inquires, setting down the teens backpack. Ciel paces for a moment, arms crossed tightly around his chest.

"We should go, though you'll need to disguise yourself." the teen says, massaging his temple.

"That's not an issue. Would you prefer I dress as a butler or a relative?"

"Whatever you want, as long as you're in the car within the next ten minutes." Ciel says dismissively, making his way to the door. Sebastian sighs at his masters unhelpfulness and gets to work.

Five minutes later the drivers side door opens, a skinny jean clad leg slipping smoothly into the vehicle. Ciels eyes narrow as the demon situates himself into the seat.

"What are you wearing?" the boy asks, taking in the mans tight black leather jacket—unzipped, a taught white dress button-up clinging to the mans flesh beneath the jacket—and his new-found long blue-black hair, weaved into a messy braid resting on his right shoulder.

"My name is Samuel, I'm your third cousin on your dads side. I'm 29 years old, and enjoy biking, surfing, long walks on the beach, and cooking. You've been living with me for five years. Don't worry, I've already created all of the necessary documents to make this legitimate." the demon says, sending the teen a mischievous glance—Ciel notices the mans blue-purple contacts.

"Remind me to never, _never_, leave you to your own devices ever again—you look ridiculous. _Drive._"

"Lesson learned." Sebastian chuckles, peeling out of the driveway in reverse and whipping onto the road like a mad man.

An hour and a half later the pair is on the road again, heading home after filling out a report on Ciel's experiences with Faustus. The principal had been visibly unsettled, not only by the context of the meeting, but also by the teens somewhat angry way of cooperating and his guardians disturbing cheerfulness throughout the entire meeting. By the time they had gotten to the parking lot, Sebastian had mysteriously gotten rid of his elongated hair and the contacts, sliding into the vehicle looking like himself again—well, except for the clothing. Now they are making their way down a familiar stretch of road, nearing the townhouse for the second time that day.

Sebastian can practically see the frustration rolling off of his ward, and he knew exactly why. The principal had victimized him—viewed him as a damsel in distress. The teen had hated it, and was apparently still angry. Not only that, but now that Ciel has made a statement against Faustus, the finger pointing is bound to begin. It's likely that the math teacher will accuse the teen of having a relationship with the music teacher, which would, to say the least, be a total pain in the ass. With Ciels pursuers on the loose, the teen can't afford to be separated from Sebastian, which could very well happen.

The car rolls smoothly into the townhouse garage and the engine rumbles to a stop. Ciel slides his legs off the smooth leather seats of his Roles Royce, his shiny and dangerous looking boots meeting the pavement ominously.

"Would the young master like me to prepare a snack?" Sebastian asks with contained irritation as he holds the car door for the boy. The teen glares at nothing for a moment as he retrieves his backpack from the car before opening his mouth.

"Something chocolate would be nice." He decides quietly, standing to the side and waiting for the slam of the door and the company of his butler. Sebastian pauses for a moment at Ciels abnormal behavior—expecting him to storm into their large flat in a rage—before finally closing and locking the door. The teen walks the distance to the house strangely close to his demon, and remains that way even after being in the safety of the building. Sebastian does naught but raise an eyebrow at the behavior, until the teen actually crosses the threshold into the kitchen- a formerly unknown territory to the spoiled boy.

"Young master, are you feeling well? I am concerned for your health." Says the demon as he rummages through the cupboards retrieving various baking materials. "I'm going to make you something relatively simple this afternoon, alright?" he adds, sending a curious glance to the teen.

"Hmm... no, physically I feel quite fine."

"Just a tad disturbed from your lessons with Faustus?"

"Quite. I must say that I'm glad that you've decided to follow me about at school, otherwise-urgh, I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if you hadn't come in." Ciel shudders, leaning against the counter just inches away from his demon.

"Oh my young master, it almost sounds as though you're thanking me!" Sebastains eyebrows shoot up and he pauses all of his movements to stare at the teen.

"Shut up." Ciel hisses without true malice and turns away, though the pretty red that dusts the teens face doesn't escape the demons gaze. Sebastian wasn't going to have that however, at least not for long.

A few minutes pass and Sebastian pours his brownie batter into a pan and slides it into the oven, turning back to his silent ward. Ciel is aware of his butlers approach but does not react until the man is looming over him, long fingers wrapping around his chin and raising his head to meet Sebastians gaze. For a long moment, neither of them say anything. Clearly debating his words, the taller male begins to speak.

"The way that man looks at you-it bothers me. Seeing it makes me want to gouge those accursed eyes from their sockets." he pauses, taking a moment to compose the increasing harshness of his tone. Ciel is initially surprised by the demons confession, but now stares at him in wonderment, gaze shifting with some form of anticipation from one crimson eye to the other. The teen finds Sebastians hesitation oddly endearing and suddenly his hand is creeping up without his consent to stroke the demons cheek. Sebastian freezes in surprise, but softens into the touch.

The warmth of Sebastians skin catches the teen off guard, and his curiosity overpowers his reservations. His other hand comes up to the opposite side of the porcelain face, fingers tangling into silken black tresses and sweeping them behind the shell of the demons ear. The butler feels his stoney heart flutter in his chest, and can not conceal the surprise and confusion flashing across his face. The teen halts at the sight.

Sebastian grips the counter on either side of the boy.

"I don't want him looking at you, I don't want him touching you. You're mine." he hisses, his fangs peeking through his lips at the thought of anything handling his things-his Ciel. The bluenette flushes, his lungs aching with a sharp intake of breath, chest arching into the protective body before him.

"I want-I want you to never let another person touch me intimately, only you." he breathes, his knee brushing the outside of Sebastians calf. The demon shivers, enveloping the boy in front of him.

"Is that an order?"

"Yes."

Their lips crash as soon as the word is murmured, Ciels back digging into the edge of the marble island-though he was far too preoccupied to notice. The contact is fierce, animalistic. Their legs grind together, Sebastains arms wrap around Ciels small body as tightly as possible—without causing him pain—his nails biting into the teens soft flesh harmlessly. Their teeth click together, the sound mingling with the little whimpers and moans in the air creating a gentle melody of lust.

"Hnnn...Se-Sebastian...mmm." Ciels fingers tangle into the demons shirt and further into his hair as Sebastians grasp slides down and loops under the teens rear, hoisting him up onto the marble surface. The chill of the unforgiving counter top rattles up the boys spine, making him squeak and push himself further into his butler, who in tern lets out a little growl of pleasure. The demon leans down and litters little fleeting kisses an the boys plump and bruising lips, surprisingly tender.

Ciel moans as Sebastians nose skims his jawline, his hot breath tickling Ciels neck before being snuffed out with the contact of lips and throat. Every small noise elicited from the boy vibrates through the demon, fueling his lust and leading him to grind further into the small body before him. Ciel doesn't hesitate to wind his legs around Sebastians waist, pulling him into his hips and bucking against the man needfully. Sebastian lets out a throaty chuckle, meeting the wanton gesture with a roll of his own hips, nuzzling the boys neck. Ciels moans at the friction, hands traveling down Sebastians shoulders and nails raking black fabric in a futile search for skin. The demon peels away his jacket with an unrivaled swiftness, leaving the teen to his own devices with his dress shirt, knowing full well that the chance of the shirts survival is slim.

Ciel growls at the fabric and slides his fingers under Sebastians collar as the older man resumes nipping at the delicate flesh of the teens neck. The boy made a strange combination of a moan, a groan and a gasp as his demons teeth scrape against his skin, tongue lapping and sucking the soft flesh, undoubtedly leaving little purple marks—marks of ownership. Ciel manages to maintain enough control to rip the first two buttons of the butlers crisp white shirt clean off, they patter on the floor several feet away. His dainty fingers sprawl across Sebastians hard chest, reveling in its smoothness and heat.

The demon slides his fingers under Ciels shirt, rubbing circles with his thumbs as he pushes the fabric up the teens torso. He slips the shirt over Ciels head, the fabric gathering on the teens arms as he winds his fingers into the silk hair at the base of the demons skull, pulling his head up and crushing their lips together. Jaws slacken into the kiss, tongues wrestling lazily for an immeasurable amount of time. When they finally break the kiss both gasp for oxygen—though one doesn't need it—and a string of saliva connects them. The boy decorates Sebastians jawline with sloppy but gentle kisses, pulling his head back farther as he begins his vengeance on his butlers neck.

"Mmm," Sebastian arches into the teen, tilting his head to the side to give him easier access to his neck, the shirt on Ciels forearm brushing his nose and filling his nostril with the boys scent.

The harsh beep of the stove timer pierces the kitchen, making the pair jump—Ciel practically leaping off the island and into Sebastians arms. The demon chuckles, hoisting the boy back onto the counter and untangling their bodies.

"Hmm, hold on a moment." The butler murmurs, pecking the teen on the lips and tapping him on the nose before making his way to the oven. Ciel stays put, his face filling with a new blush as he begins to comprehend what he had been doing with his butler only moments ago. He finds that he can't, however, find it within himself to feel any bit of disgust or regret.

In fact, the teen is relieved for some reason.

He doesn't understand the feeling, and begins questioning his own desires, his motives, the emotions he has for his contracted demon. Initially he had thought that the cravings he'd been having for his butler were simply born of his need for protection. Now Ciel begins to realize that there is something bigger here.

Logically, he doesn't need to further his relationship with Sebastian in order to increase his protection. Logically, having any sort of physical relationship with a demon is dangerous, to say the least. Ciel knows this, but doesn't hesitate to throw these thoughts out the window in favor of a concept much more risky, unstable, illogical.

Perhaps the teen is in love with Sebastian. Perhaps his feelings are genuine.

**Edit: I've been meaning to tell you guys, I have a Kuro facebook account if anyone wants to friend me :) look for Alois Spicyshorts Trancy. That way, if I slack off again you guys can nag me (it would be much appreciated) I would love to chat/stalk my readers! c:**


	19. Early Bird Doesn't Always Get the Worm

**That's right Ladies and Gentlemen, I haven't died. **

**I've just been busy (and a bit uninspired) for the past...while.**

**I'll shut up now so you can get to reading.**

Chapter 19

Ciel only absently takes notes of his butlers approaching footsteps through his pondering, and is still in quite a daze as the man sets something on the adjacent counter and turns to face him. Sebastian would be lying if he said that the teens dazed look didn't excite him in the least, but the demon manages to contain himself as he comes to stand in front of his ward.

The teen jolts as long fingers curl around his nearly discarded shirt, pulling the fabric back up his arms and over his head. Ciel casts his butler an incredulous look as the man settles his shirt back over his torso and brushes out the wrinkles.

"What are you doing?"

"Is it not normal practice to eat ones desert fully clothed?" Sebastian asks as he stands and smooths his own clothing, though he had already fixed the damage done by their earlier endeavors. The demon smirks as Ciel raises a skeptical eyebrow at the question. "Would you like to eat in the nude?"

"Just give me the damn bowl."

"Yes, my lord."

Ciel eats his desert—a warm molten brownie drowning in quickly melting french vanilla icecream topped with whipped cream—in the silent presence of his butler from his perch on the island counter top, which would normally not be allowed but the pairs new odd relationship left boundaries blurred and left neither really knowing where they stood. The teen seemed more unsure of what was going on than Sebastian however.

The entire evening passes with a strange normality, the same routine as any other day—only with an underlying predatory vibe from both Ciel and Sebastian. There is a leashed carnal force behind every interaction, every touch, every glance.

Somehow the night ends without further event. Well, aside from the fleeting kiss Sebastian steals from his master as he retires for the night. The oddly affectionate gesture costs Ciel at least an hour of sleep.

Sebastian slips into Ciel's room a good ten minutes earlier than usual, the first fluttering rays of sunlight are just barely building up to the curtained window. The demon casually makes his way to the edge of his masters oversized bed, sitting himself down gently and leaning over the teens dainty curled form in the center of the mattress. A long finger stretches out and twirls mischievously in Ciel's disarrayed navy locks.

"Young master." Sebastian says softly, watching gleefully as the teen stirs and turns towards him, multicolored irises peeking out from behind thick eyelashes.

"...Sebastian?" he says drowsily, bringing his fist up to rub his eye. "Is it time to get up?"

"Almost. I prepared a larger breakfast so I'm getting you up a few minutes earlier."

"I want to sleep more." the teen yawns- poor sleeping habits was one thing he had never grown out of. Ciel rolls over to face Sebastian, coiling his arm around the man.

"I suppose I'll allow it."

Sebastian essentially melts into Ciels arms, coiling his own around the teens small frame. Chin settling on cobalt hair the demon watches the sun slip through the window with growing vibrancy. Five minutes pass comfortably before the demon attempts to wake his ward again.

"Young master," the demon says softly, gently shaking the boys shoulder.

"No. I am NOT getting up." the teen growls groggily, tightening his grip on the mans waist. Sebastian is briefly surprised by Ciels assertiveness, but a chuckle vibrates through his chest moments later.

"You're going to make me move you, aren't you." Sebastians statement is met with a tired you-wouldn't-dare glare from the face looking up from his chest. The next second the demon is virtually on top of the boy, pinning his wrists against the sheets. It takes Ciel a moment to register that Sebastian is straddling him through the haze of sleep, his body flushing from head to toe as his mind comes into focus.

"What are you-"

"Are you awake now?"

"Hardly." the teen growls, turning away from the man in flushed frustration.

"Then I'm not trying hard enough." Sebastian breathes into Ciels ear, smirking lips brushing the shell. The teens breath hitches despite his best efforts to appear unresponsive. These attempts prove utterly futile when the demons teeth graze his neck. Ciels hips only twitch up ever so slightly, but nothing gets past his butler. Sebastians low chuckle vibrates from his chest to Ciels as they press against each other, the demon settling between the boys legs.

The teen feels a sudden surge of panic, freezing and going ridged at the contact. The last time-the last time this happened-terror. Terror and pain. Hopelessness. Ciel stops breathing.

Sebastian immediately lifts his body off of the teen, pulling everything at least six inches away from the body beneath him.

"Ciel. Ciel, are you alright?" because asking what's wrong would have been pointless-Sebastian already knew, though the teen was unaware of curls onto his side, hiding his face and bringing his trembling limbs tightly to his chest. The demon pulls fully away from the boy only to lay down next to him, facing the delirious teen.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here, nothing can hurt you." Sebastian murmurs soothingly, hesitating for a moment before reaching out and running his fingers through Ciels hair. The teen lets out a strangled sob, ripping from the depths of his throat as Sebastians palm cups his cheek. The demon gently lifts Ciels face and leans forward, dusting fluttering kisses over the boys cheeks, eyes and nose. The wild sound of Ciels pulsating heart gradually quells, the teens muscles relaxing. His eyes crack open as Sebastian pecks the tip of his nose.

"Sorry." Ciel whispers, fingers entwining with one of the older mans hands and pulling it into his chest. He takes a deep breath, "It's just that-"

"I know."

"You know?"

"Yes. I know what happened."

"But you didn't-"

"I didn't want to bring it up. Not only was I concerned that it would upset you, but I wouldn't put it past you to pretend that it never happened in the first place. What kind of butler would I be if I disrupted such an illusion?"

"I thought that you overlooked it... Or that perhaps you just didn't care. It upset me."

"I'm sorry."

And after a moment Ciel laughs, and Sebastian isn't sure if the moisture pooling at the corner of his eyes are that of mirth or sadness.

"This is stupid." the teen finally says, "To think that a demon would ever apologize to someone, you're a horrible demon Sebastian!" The boy giggles, his whole body jostling. Ciel curls his arms from his chest, coiling them around Sebastian tightly. The teen nuzzles his face into the hard chest in front of him and the older man lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Time ticks by with a stealthy swiftness but neither are willing to bend to it's will.

**So uh, no need to attack me with pitchforks and torches. **

**I'm going to try to get back to updating regularly.**

**I won't point the blame finger-**

***cough*Homestuck*cough***

***cough*sold my soul to Hussie*cough***

**-but I'm sorry.**

**I STILL LOVE YOU ALL, MMKAY?**

***throws rainbow cake everywhereeeee***


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